Research and consulting in Mali

Country Overview:

Mali has been the focus of in-depth research and consulting projects by IOA. Our analysts have noted the dichotomy of Malian geography and society: the arid north, where nomadic livelihoods based on livestock are disrupted by perennial conflict and a lack of security; and the arable southern lands, where much of the population is engaged in subsistence farming. Security for the north is essential for commercial growth in the south and overall national development. For now, unsustainable population growth and the effects of global warming on the large, hot country are significant challenges.

Once militant groups are suppressed and national security is secured, IOA economists forecast that investors will be incentivised to establish industrial agriculture in the south. The country has some gold deposits and underdeveloped mineral resources worth noting.

Key opportunities in Mali:

A wide array of mineral resources include gold, uranium, diamonds, copper, iron ore, zinc, manganese, bauxite, lead, lithium, marble, gypsum, phosphate and rock salt.
Arable land can be utilised for commercial agriculture
Kola nuts and salt once made Mali rich, and their export levels today can be significantly increased

Key concerns/risks in Mali:

Food security is a threat to more than half the population, poverty levels having risen since 2020
Islamic militant groups are the latest invader in the landlocked country’s vast desert north and have destabilised that part of the country
A poor education system does not produce a skilled and knowledgeable population needed for national growth