West African eXploration Initiative (WAXI)

The West African Exploration Initiative (WAXI) is a collaborative research program focusing on the tectonics and mineral potential of the West African Craton.

Established in 2006, the overall aim of WAXI was to enhance the exploration potential of the West African Craton through an integrated program of research and data gathering into its “anatomy’, and to augment the capacity of local institutions to undertake this form of work.

Although Stage 4 of the program concluded in 2025, its impact continues through the Agate Project: a registered charity dedicated to advancing geoscience training and research across Africa.

 

Agate Project

 

 

Involvement

Project Coordinator:

• Mark Jessell

Lead Facilitator:

• Agnieszka Piechocka

Investigators:

• Nico Thébaud
• Quentin Masurel
• Julien Perret

Additional Information

Participating Partner Research Orgs: British Geological Survey CNRS, Toulouse Council for Geoscience CSIRO École des mines, de l'industrie et de la géologie (EMIG), Niamey Ecole Nationale d'Ingenieurs Abderhamane Baba Touré, Bamako ENS Lyon Innsbruck University Institut national polytechnique Félix Houphouët-Boigny, Yamoussoukro IRD, Toulouse Laurentian University Ministry of Mines and Geology of Republic of Senegal, Dakar Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane TTGeo, Ouagadougou Université d’Abomey-Calavi Université Félix Houphouët Boigny, Abidjan Universitty of Rennes University Abdou Moumouni, Niamey University Nangui Abrogoua, Abidjan University Nice-Sophia-Antipolis, Nice University of Cheikh Anta Diop, Dakar University of Chile, Santiago de Chile University of Ghana, Accra University of Ibaban, Nigeria University of Joseph Ki Zerbo, Ouagadougou University of Lome University of Lorraine, Nancy University of Man, Man University of Paul Sabatier, Toulouse University of Sciences, Techniques and Technologies of Bamako University of Tasmania, Hobart University of Twente, Enschede University of Western Australia, CET, Perth