{"id":3130,"date":"2026-10-31T09:55:05","date_gmt":"2026-10-31T09:55:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vindicatorslnews.com\/?p=3130"},"modified":"2026-10-31T09:55:07","modified_gmt":"2026-10-31T09:55:07","slug":"sl-pushes-mineral-value-addition-at-russia-africa-summit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vindicatorslnews.com\/?p=3130","title":{"rendered":"SL Pushes Mineral Value Addition at Russia-Africa Summit"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Sierra Leone has called for a major shift in Africa\u2019s mining industry, urging mineral-rich countries to move beyond exporting raw materials and invest in processing, beneficiation and manufacturing to ensure that natural resources translate into sustainable economic growth and improved living standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Minister of Mines and Mineral Resources, Julius Mattai, made the call during a panel discussion at the Third Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow, Russia, on October 30, 2026, under the theme, \u201cFrom Extraction to Prosperity: Subsoil Resources as the Bedrock of National Well-Being.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He argued that Africa\u2019s vast mineral wealth could only deliver lasting benefits if governments prioritised knowledge, effective governance, investment in infrastructure and the development of the entire mineral value chain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reflecting on his personal journey, Minister Mattai recalled arriving in Russia four decades ago as a young geology student, describing his career progression to becoming Sierra Leone\u2019s Minister of Mines and Mineral Resources as an example of the benefits of international cooperation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cForty years on, I’m sitting here as a Minister of Mines and Mineral Resources, thanks to the cooperation we had with the former Soviet Union and, of course, currently with the Russian Federation,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Using his experience to illustrate the summit\u2019s theme, he told delegates that mineral resources must be properly managed and developed to create prosperity for citizens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The minister emphasised that possessing mineral deposits does not automatically translate into national wealth, explaining that successful mining requires a combination of exploration, skilled manpower, effective management, access to markets and sound financial planning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn mining, the market sits at the far end. First you have to get the mine, you have the manpower, you have to manage them, you have to have the market before you get the money. And that money can translate to prosperity,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He further stressed that geology alone represents potential rather than actual wealth, noting that knowledge, governance and a proper understanding of mineral resources are essential to turning that potential into economic benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGeology itself doesn’t give you money. Geology is just a potential. It’s only when you bring knowledge, governance, and your understanding of that geology before you get what you call prosperity,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Describing Sierra Leone as a relatively small country with considerable mineral potential, Mr. Mattai noted that it shares geological formations with several other African countries, including Guinea, Mali, Ghana, C\u00f4te d\u2019Ivoire and Liberia. He also pointed to similar mineral formations in other parts of the continent, including the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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He challenged African countries to examine whether their natural resource endowments were genuinely improving the lives of their people and, where they were not, identify the factors limiting those benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The minister cited Canada, Australia and Russia as examples of countries that have developed their geological resources to support national development and improve living standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Turning to Sierra Leone\u2019s mineral prospects, he said the country possesses one of the largest iron ore deposits in West Africa and has recently identified critical minerals, including lithium. He disclosed that the country\u2019s first lithium mine is currently under construction, while promising prospects also exist for cobalt, nickel and coltan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He also highlighted the nationwide airborne geophysical survey, which employs radiometric and magnetic technologies to generate geophysical, geochemical and geological data, alongside topographical and infrastructure information. The exercise, he explained, is intended to improve knowledge of the country\u2019s mineral potential and reduce exploration risks for investors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, he cautioned that identifying mineral deposits and anomalies was only an initial step in the exploration process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEndowment alone is not enough. We need knowledge to tap into it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr. Mattai disclosed that Sierra Leone signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Zarubezhgeologia, a subsidiary of Rosgeo, in June 2024 to undertake a comprehensive inventory of the country\u2019s mineral resources and strengthen understanding of its geology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He explained that although the nationwide airborne geophysical survey had identified several mineral anomalies, further exploration, particularly drilling, was required to establish commercially viable resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnomalies alone are not enough. You have to drill, and it’s only by drilling you’ll be able to convert those anomalies to resources, to reserves and then you can use that to build a mine,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the government\u2019s mining policy, the minister said Sierra Leone was pursuing a different development approach aimed at moving away from the traditional practice of exporting unprocessed minerals while importing finished products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He noted that the practice had historically limited the economic benefits available to resource-rich countries, contributing to dependency and reducing opportunities for local industrial development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead, the government is promoting investment across the entire mineral value chain, covering extraction, processing, beneficiation, smelting, refining, fabrication and manufacturing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to him, this approach is intended to create more economic opportunities, strengthen local industries and ensure that a greater share of the value generated from the country\u2019s mineral resources remains within Sierra Leone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To support this ambition, Mr. Mattai said the government had reviewed the Mines and Minerals Development Act to improve transparency and establish a stable legal and fiscal framework capable of attracting long-term investment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He maintained that investors were more concerned about predictable regulations than the existence of higher operating standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cInvestors are not scared of higher standards. It’s when you keep changing the rules as time goes on,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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He added that Sierra Leone was seeking to provide a predictable investment environment, supported by fiscal stabilisation provisions intended to reduce investment risks in the mining industry, where projects often require substantial capital and have lengthy payback periods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The minister also identified energy supply and supporting infrastructure as critical requirements for mineral value addition and industrialisation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He warned that ambitions to expand mineral processing, fabrication and manufacturing would remain difficult to achieve without reliable and affordable electricity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo amount of beneficiation, no amount of processing, no amount of fabrication is going to take place if you don’t have energy,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He noted that the government was working to strengthen essential infrastructure, including electricity supply, roads and port facilities, while emphasising the importance of transparency and accountability in managing revenues generated from the mining sector.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Sierra Leone delegation included Ambassador Col. (Rtd.) Alhaji Fanday Turay, Minister of Transport and Aviation; Mohamed Yongawo, Sierra Leone\u2019s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Russian Federation; Ing. Dabo Hadji, Chairman of the National Minerals Agency; Ing. Francis Nyama, Deputy Director-General of the Electricity Distribution and Supply Authority (EDSA); Sahr Nepor, Corporate Secretary of EDSA; Timbo Alusine, Deputy Director of Mines at the National Minerals Agency; and Deen Henry Masala Chukuameka, Deputy Director of Geological Survey at the National Minerals Agency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Senior officials from EDSA, the Ministry of Mines and Mineral Resources, the Ministry of Finance, the National Minerals Agency and staff of Sierra Leone\u2019s Embassy in Russia also attended the event.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sierra Leone has called for a major shift in Africa\u2019s mining industry, urging mineral-rich countries…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3130","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vindicatorslnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3130","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vindicatorslnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vindicatorslnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vindicatorslnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vindicatorslnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3130"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/vindicatorslnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3130\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3135,"href":"https:\/\/vindicatorslnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3130\/revisions\/3135"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vindicatorslnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3130"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vindicatorslnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3130"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vindicatorslnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3130"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}