In the Niger desert, where dust and hope mix, Ibrahim Amadou Abdoulaye, better known as Babandjida, has written a unique chapter in his life. His journey, closely linked to the Tabarkat gold mine near the Algerian border in the town of Arlit, is the story of a relentless quest that oscillates between dream and brutal reality.

Originally from Niamey, Ibrahim worked as a carpenter before embarking on his gold mining adventure. “Some friends and I got together and were about to leave for the Djado site when an uncle told us about the opening of a new gold mine in Tabarkat,” he says. With a collection of 300,000 CFA francs each, he set off on a journey that was to change his life.

The first challenge: a team and a strategy 

On arrival at the site, Babandjida and his comrades split into two groups. One group would explore with a gold detector, while the other would work as labourers for the miners. The deal was simple: for every kilo of gold found, the detectorists would earn a gram, while the labourers would be paid a gram a day. The early days were tough, but Babandjida’s perseverance made him stay on after his companions gave up eight months later.

Between trade and survival: adapting to progress

Encouraged by his first earnings, Babandjida expanded his activities. With the money I had, I went back to Niamey to buy generators and refrigerators. I took everything to the Tabarkat compound, where I opened a shop. There he started selling cold drinks and charging phones, a lucrative business that allowed him to invest further. The young entrepreneur even opened a restaurant run by his brother and diversified his activities with a money transfer service and a gold deal brokerage.

But the challenges soon mounted, proving that life on the Gold Coast was far from a linear path to success.

A journey full of pitfalls 

“’Contrary to what my adventure might suggest, not everything was rosy during the 12 years I spent at the Tabarkat gold mine”.

Babandjida talks openly about the times when he was close to death. “We were not allowed to operate there, and the Algerian troops hunted us down with helicopters that fired on us without restraint,” he recalls. At the beginning of his career as a mediator, he was the victim of a plot orchestrated by his driver and bandits. “Fortunately, I was not physically harmed. They just took the money and gold I was carrying.” But the worst blow came when he got lost in the desert, an experience that could have turned tragic.” It was ten days before a truckload of smugglers found us and took me to the town of Arlit, where I informed the gendarmerie.”

Lessons etched in the experience of life

Now living in Niamey, Babandjida runs a shop, works as a real estate agent and sells second-hand cars. Looking back on his adventure, he shares the valuable lessons he has learnt: “I have learnt a lot, starting with living together, sharing the same environment with foreigners from Chad, Libya and Sudan, as well as my compatriots.” It is an experience that has enabled this young Nigerian to look beyond the borders of his hometown and, through a combination of resilience and ingenuity, to accumulate wealth.

Babandjida’s journey is an eloquent illustration of human determination in the face of adversity. Behind the glitter of gold, there are sacrifices and dangers, but also opportunities that shape extraordinary destinies. It is a story that resonates far beyond the dunes of Tabarkat.