LVG unlocks final land parcel at Imwelo via community trust

Canada NewsWire

Issued on behalf of Lake Victoria Gold Ltd.

Phase 3 of LVG's land valuation and compensation programme commences August 1, covering 73 acres and completing the site footprint required to build Imwelo. The company has already secured 453 acres through two completed land programmes, with Phase 3 now underway to add a further 73 acres and expand the total project footprint to 526 acres upon completion.. A track record of getting it done.

VANCOUVER, BC , Aug. 5, 2026 /CNW/ -- Equity-Insider.com News Commentary - There is a class of mining milestone that does not generate the same excitement as a drill result or a construction start, but without which neither of those events can proceed on schedule. Land access specifically, the orderly, legally prescribed, community-endorsed process of compensating landholders for the ground a mine will occupy is one of them. When it goes wrong, mines stall. Permitting is challenged. Community relationships fracture. Projects that looked construction-ready find themselves years away from groundbreaking. When it goes right, as it has for Lake Victoria Gold Ltd. at Imwelo, the process barely makes news. That is precisely the point. On August 1, 2026, LVG commences Phase 3 of its land valuation and compensation programme at the Imwelo Gold Project in Chato District, Tanzania's Geita Region. Phase 3 covers approximately 73 acres required for accommodation, workshop, and supporting mine infrastructure. It will involve approximately 60 Project Affected Persons. And when it is complete, LVG will have successfully delivered three consecutive land programmes spanning 526 combined acres across seven years, in close collaboration with government authorities, local leadership, and affected communities. In the context of African mine development, that track record is a competitive advantage.

Companies mentioned: Lake Victoria Gold Ltd. (TSXV: LVG) (OTCQB: LVGLF) (FSE: E1K), Caledonia Mining Corporation Plc (NYSE American: CMCL) (LSE: CMCL) (VFEX: CMCL), Kinross Gold Corporation (TSX: K) (NYSE: KGC), Montage Gold Corp. (TSX: MAU) (OTCQX: MAUTF), Hummingbird Resources plc (LSE: HUM) (OTCQB: HUMRF)

Key Takeaways

Phase 3 commences August 1, 2026, covering approximately 73 acres within Imwelo A Hamlet, Chato District, providing the additional land required for accommodation, workshop, and related mine infrastructure.

Approximately 60 Project Affected Persons will participate in a transparent, legally prescribed valuation and compensation process, conducted by qualified government valuers at the district and regional levels.

District authority approval in place. The programme has been approved by the Office of the District Executive Director and the District Commissioner of Chato District Council, with representatives from Buselesele Ward and other relevant government bodies participating.

Three programmes, 526 acres, seven years of execution. Phase 1 covered 268 acres in 2019. Phase 2 covered 185 acres in 2023. Phase 3 completes the footprint. Seven years of community land engagement, executed through close coordination with government authorities, local leadership, and affected communities.

Community sensitization meetings will be held, with valuation results disclosed to each affected person before compensation is completed -- a transparency standard that exceeds the minimum required under Tanzanian law.

What Phase 3 Covers and Why It Matters

The 73 acres covered by Phase 3 are not the core mine pit or primary processing infrastructure -- those were addressed in Phase 1 and Phase 2. They are the support infrastructure: accommodation camps for the construction and operations workforce, workshop facilities for equipment maintenance, and ancillary site services. These are the elements that allow a mine to function as an integrated operation rather than a series of isolated production activities.

The practical significance is that Phase 3 will provide the additional land required for workshop facilities, expanded accommodation and other supporting infrastructure contemplated in the development plan. Upon completion, the programme is expected to increase the total land covered by the three phases to approximately 526 acres, further advancing site readiness as construction activities progress. For a project that has already commenced Phase 1 earthworks -- access-road upgrades and plant-pad preparation were underway as of July 28, 2026 -- the timing of Phase 3 is deliberate. Land access is being cleared at pace with engineering and construction activity so that each development workstream can proceed without waiting on the others.

The programme will be conducted by qualified government valuers at the district and regional levels, in accordance with applicable Tanzanian land and valuation legislation. Community sensitization meetings will explain the process, rights, and obligations to affected persons. Valuation results will be disclosed to each affected person before compensation is completed. These are not marketing commitments -- they are prescribed elements of the Tanzanian land compensation framework under which every programme LVG has conducted has operated.

"Phase 3 reflects the steady, disciplined execution required to move Imwelo from a fully permitted project into construction and production. Our previous land programmes have established a strong foundation of trust with the community and local authorities, and we intend to maintain that standard as development advances. Responsible engagement is not separate from successful mine development, it is fundamental to building a durable operation in Tanzania," said Marc Cernovitch, President and CEO of Lake Victoria Gold.

Seven Years of Getting It Right

Phase 1, completed in 2019, covered 268 acres and established the initial site footprint required for the core project infrastructure. Phase 2, completed in 2023, added 185 acres as the project's development plan evolved and the scope of required land access expanded. Phase 3, commencing August 1, 2026, adds the final 73 acres. The cumulative total of 526 acres across three programmes represents one of the more methodical site-assembly processes in the East African junior gold development sector.

LVG's seven-year land engagement programme in Tanzania reflects a deliberate and structured approach. Tanzania's legal framework for land compensation is detailed and prescriptive, requiring government valuers, community sensitization, individual disclosure of valuation results, and multi-authority oversight. LVG has worked within that framework consistently, engaging Chato District Council, the District Commissioner's Office, Imwelo Village, Buselesele Ward, and other relevant government authorities as participants rather than regulators to be navigated around. The result is a community relationship that the company's CEO has described not as a separate ESG commitment but as fundamental to building a durable operation.

For investors evaluating Imwelo's near-term development timeline, the Phase 3 programme is a risk reduction event. Land access and compensation are critical-path activities in African mine construction. By completing the land compensation process in advance of construction activity reaching the Phase 3 infrastructure areas, LVG is sequencing its development activities to keep that workstream aligned with the broader project schedule.

Imwelo's Broader Development Context

Phase 3 arrives alongside a broader set of simultaneous development activities that together describe a project advancing on multiple fronts at once. Phase 1 earthworks are underway. The construction camp is nearing completion and commissioning -- designed to transition directly into the permanent operations mine camp, avoiding the capital duplication that most junior developers incur. CECL, a 100% Tanzanian-owned EPCM contractor, continues as the primary commercial lead alongside Sutton Consulting International as international technical support, maintaining alignment with Tanzania's local content framework.

The gold loan facility with Monetary Metals, structured as a loan of up to 6,000 ounces at approximately US$25 million at current prices, continues to advance through Tanzanian regulatory workstreams. Closing that facility would provide a substantial portion of Imwelo's construction funding on non-dilutive, gold-denominated terms -- a financing structure that eliminates the currency mismatch risk that has caused financial distress at a number of African juniors in prior commodity cycles.

Strategically, LVG enters Phase 3 with institutional backing that most juniors at its stage cannot claim. Barrick Mining Corporation holds a direct equity investment in the company. Taifa Mining, Tanzania's largest mining contractor with over 30 years of experience and established relationships with Barrick, AngloGold Ashanti, Petra, and De Beers, is committed to conducting all contract mining and civil works at Imwelo and to obtaining an equity stake in LVG. Management, directors, and strategic partners together own more than 60% of shares outstanding.

The African Gold Development Names Investors Are Watching

LVG is building Imwelo within an African gold sector where community engagement, ESG execution, and stakeholder trust have become as commercially important as geological endowment. The companies operating across the full development spectrum -- from producing at scale to ramping new mines -- illustrate the standards the market now applies.

Caledonia Mining Corporation Plc (NYSE American: CMCL) (LSE: CMCL) (VFEX: CMCL)

Caledonia Mining is an African gold producer with a track record of operating in complex jurisdictions that requires genuine community and government partnerships -- a model with direct relevance to LVG's Tanzania-first approach. The company's Blanket Mine in Zimbabwe produced 17,360 ounces of gold in Q2 2026, an 18% increase over Q1, with full-year 2026 guidance maintained at 72,000 to 76,500 ounces. In Q1 2026, Caledonia reported an 18.3% revenue increase, 50.2% EBITDA growth, and a profit after tax nearly 70% higher year-over-year, supported by elevated gold prices and declared a dividend of US$0.14 per share. The company's Bilboes gold project development, for which Stanbic Bank Zimbabwe and CBZ Bank were appointed as co-lead arrangers for an up to US$150 million interim funding facility, illustrates the willingness of African-focused financial institutions to fund well-structured development projects with strong community and government alignment. Caledonia's institutional approach to stakeholder engagement in a jurisdictionally challenging environment provides a direct parallel to what LVG is building at Imwelo.

Kinross Gold Corporation (TSX: K) (NYSE: KGC)

Kinross is one of the most experienced major gold producers in Africa and provides the most authoritative institutional benchmark for what responsible mine operation looks like at scale across the continent. The company operated the Chirano mine in Ghana for years before divesting, and its Tasiast mine in Mauritania has been a flagship for community engagement and local content development in West Africa. For 2026, Kinross is guiding for approximately two million attributable gold-equivalent ounces, maintaining the production stability that its record 2025 financial performance supported: revenue of $7.05 billion, up approximately 37% year-over-year, with earnings of $2.39 billion, up approximately 152%. Kinross has returned approximately $350 million to shareholders in 2026 to date. The company's consistent investment in host country relationships, community development programs, and local hiring across its African operations is the institutional standard against which every junior African gold developer's community engagement approach is ultimately measured. LVG's Phase 3 process, conducted with government valuers, district authority approval, and individual disclosure of valuation results, is executing to that standard at the junior development stage.

Montage Gold Corp. (TSX: MAU) (OTCQX: MAUTF)

Montage Gold is advancing the Koné Gold Project in Cote d'Ivoire, one of the largest undeveloped gold projects in West Africa, with 7.3 million ounces of Indicated Mineral Resources and a feasibility study completed in 2024. What makes Montage directly relevant to the LVG story is not just the scale of the asset but the execution model: Montage has invested heavily in community engagement and social license-building as foundational activities that precede and enable physical construction, rather than compliance obligations to be satisfied alongside it. The company secured a US$920 million project financing package in 2025, anchored by a diverse group of development finance institutions and commercial lenders, and broke ground on Koné in early 2026 with first gold targeted for 2028. The willingness of development finance institutions to commit nearly a billion dollars to an African gold project is partly a function of gold prices, but it is also a function of the quality of the ESG infrastructure -- community agreements, government partnerships, environmental management plans -- that Montage built before seeking project financing. LVG's methodical three-phase land programme, conducted over seven years in close collaboration with Tanzanian authorities, is building exactly that kind of infrastructure at Imwelo.

Hummingbird Resources plc (LSE: HUM) (OTCQB: HUMRF)

Hummingbird Resources provides the most instructive case study in how community and regulatory relationships can determine whether an African gold producer thrives or struggles when operational challenges arise. The company operates the Yanfolila Gold Mine in Mali and is advancing the Dugbe Gold Project in Liberia, a 4.2 million ounce resource that has received significant government support and for which a definitive feasibility study is targeted in 2026. Hummingbird's experience at Yanfolila -- where strong community relationships provided the operational resilience to navigate challenging periods -- illustrates the practical commercial value of the stakeholder engagement model LVG is applying at Imwelo. The contrast between African gold producers that have invested in community trust and those that have not is visible in their ability to maintain operations, advance permitting, and attract financing in difficult environments. For LVG, seven years of land engagement and community relationship-building in Tanzania is an asset that does not appear on a balance sheet but is as real as the 526 acres it has secured. These companies are referenced to illustrate the sector only and do not imply any partnership, endorsement, affiliation, or comparable financial performance.

What to Watch

The near-term development calendar at Imwelo is now running on three simultaneous tracks. Phase 3 land compensation is the community and regulatory track, expected to complete in the weeks following the August 1 commencement date. The physical earthworks track -- access road, plant pad, camp commissioning -- is advancing in parallel with the construction camp nearing operational readiness. And the financial track -- the Monetary Metals gold loan facility advancing through Tanzanian regulatory workstreams -- will determine the timing and structure of the broader construction financing package.

For investors, each completed Phase 3 milestone -- community sensitization meetings, valuation exercises, individual compensation disclosures, and final clearance of affected households -- advances site readiness and keeps the land programme aligned with the broader construction schedule. The combination of active earthworks, a commissioning construction camp, and a community land process conducting its final phase in parallel describes an Imwelo that is converging on construction start from multiple directions at once.

CONTINUED... Learn more about Lake Victoria Gold Ltd. at: https://lakevictoriagold.com

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Article Sources

[1] Lake Victoria Gold Ltd. -- "Lake Victoria Gold Commences Phase 3 Land Programme to Advance Imwelo Toward Construction" (July 31, 2026; Phase 3 commencement August 1, 2026; 73 acres; approximately 60 PAPs; Imwelo A Hamlet, Chato District, Geita Region; District Executive Director and Commissioner approval; government valuers; community sensitization; 526 combined acres across three programmes; CEO Marc Cernovitch quote; TSXV: LVG, OTCQB: LVGLF, FSE: E1K).

[2] Lake Victoria Gold Ltd. -- "Lake Victoria Gold Commences Phase 1 Earthworks at Fully Permitted Imwelo Gold Project" (July 28, 2026; Phase 1 earthworks commencement, access road upgrades, plant pad preparation, construction camp commissioning, CECL/Sutton EPCM structure, build-once camp design).

[3] Caledonia Mining Corporation Plc -- Q2 2026 production update (17,360 oz gold, +18% QoQ; 2026 guidance maintained 72,000-76,500 oz); Q1 2026 results (revenue +18.3%, EBITDA +50.2%, profit after tax +70% YoY; dividend US$0.14/share); Bilboes project interim funding facility up to US$150M (Stanbic Bank Zimbabwe and CBZ Bank); NYSE American: CMCL, LSE: CMCL, VFEX: CMCL.

[4] Kinross Gold Corporation -- 2025 annual results (revenue $7.05B +37% YoY; earnings $2.39B +152% YoY); 2026 guidance approximately 2.0M attributable AuEq oz; approximately $350M returned to shareholders 2026 to date; Tasiast mine, Mauritania; Chirano mine, Ghana (divested); record free cash flow track record; TSX: K, NYSE: KGC.

[5] Montage Gold Corp. -- Kone Gold Project, Cote d'Ivoire; 7.3M oz Indicated Mineral Resources; US$920M project financing package 2025; groundbreaking early 2026; first gold targeted 2028; feasibility study 2024; TSX: MAU, OTCQX: MAUTF.

[6] Hummingbird Resources plc -- Yanfolila Gold Mine, Mali; Dugbe Gold Project, Liberia (4.2M oz resource; DFS targeted 2026; Government of Liberia support); community engagement model; LSE: HUM, OTCQB: HUMRF.

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