Угандийский предприниматель Бернард Фени получил двойную награду на церемонии Ghana Merit Awards 2026

Accra, Ghana — Ugandan entrepreneur Bernard Feni, the founder and chief executive of Euro Gold Refinery, has received double recognition at the Ghana Merit Awards 2026 in Accra, where he was named CEO/Entrepreneur of the Year while his philanthropic organisation, Mungu Feni Foundation, received the Best NGO/Foundation of the Year award. The recognition comes as Feni expands his footprint in Uganda's mineral sector through Euro Gold Refinery, which has positioned itself around gold refining, mineral value addition and the formalisation of artisanal mining. Euro Gold Refinery has emerged as one of the locally owned companies seeking to take advantage of Uganda's push to retain more value from its mineral resources by processing gold within the country rather than exporting it in raw form. The company says it refines gold to 99.9% purity and has invested in refining technology and workforce development. More than 70% of its workforce is made up of Ugandans trained to international standards, according to company figures. Keep up with the latest headlines on WhatsApp | LinkedIn Feni's business interests have increasingly extended beyond refining. Euro Gold Refinery has entered agreements with artisanal mining groups and expanded into mining operations as it seeks to build a more integrated presence along Uganda's gold value chain. The company has supported Kakoka artisanal miners in Abim to obtain mining licences and establish supply arrangements with the refinery. It also has a memorandum of understanding with Mubende United Miners Association focused on gold value addition through refining. In Yumbe, Euro Gold Refinery has acquired a mining licence as it expands into responsible small-scale mining and seeks to bring more local miners into formal supply chains. The company's activities place Feni within a wider debate over local participation in Uganda's extractives sector, where policymakers have increasingly emphasised mineral beneficiation and greater domestic participation in industries that have historically been dominated by foreign companies. Feni and Euro Gold Refinery were also recognised recently at Uganda's 2026 Business Excellence Awards, where he was named Entrepreneur of the Year and the company was named Platinum Winner in the Best Natural Resources and Extractives category. The Ghana awards also recognise the other side of Feni's activities through Mungu Feni Foundation, which focuses on youth empowerment, education support, skills development and assistance to vulnerable communities. The Foundation has implemented initiatives in community development and livelihood improvement, complementing Feni's commercial activities with social programmes targeting young people and vulnerable groups. Its work has previously received regional recognition, including being named Best Community Transformation Organisation in East Africa at the East Africa Brand Quality Awards. The Foundation also received several awards at the 2025 West Nile Quality Brand Awards, including the Quality Excellence Award - Platinum, Best Community Development NGO and Best Local NGO. The double recognition in Ghana therefore brings together two aspects of Feni's public profile: an entrepreneur building businesses in Uganda's growing mineral sector and the community initiatives carried out through his Foundation. For Feni, the awards come at a time when Euro Gold Refinery is expanding its operations and Uganda is seeking to increase the economic returns from its natural resources through value addition and local participation. The company's growth strategy has included expanding its relationships with artisanal and small-scale miners, a significant part of Uganda's mining sector, while developing refining and mining operations. The Ghana recognition adds an international dimension to Feni's growing list of business and community awards.