23/05/2026
*NIB Leadership Advocates for Increased Investment in Mineral Value Addition and Beneficiation at Sierra Leone Mining Week 2026*
*22/05/2026:* The leadership of the National Investment Board (NIB), led by Executive Director Dr. Edward Hinga Sandy and Deputy Executive Director Ms. Fatima Mahawa Sandi, has called for increased investment in mineral value addition and beneficiation as a critical pathway to industrial growth, job creation, and economic transformation in Sierra Leone.
They made this call during a high-level panel discussion at the ongoing Sierra Leone Mining Week 2026 and the 11th African Diamond Producers Association (ADPA) Council of Ministers Meeting held at the Bintumani Conference Centre in Freetown.
Dr. Sandy served as a panelist at the strategic session on mineral beneficiation and industrial development, where he highlighted Sierra Leone’s growing investment potential in steel production, rutile processing, and downstream mineral industries. He emphasized that Sierra Leone possesses the resources, policy direction, and market opportunities needed to attract credible investors into mineral processing and manufacturing.
He further emphasized that value addition is already evident in sectors such as agriculture, particularly in palm oil processing, and noted that similar approaches can be replicated in the mining sector to maximize economic returns and local industrial growth. He also pointed to ongoing improvements in the country’s energy and infrastructure sectors, which are critical to supporting industrial processing and manufacturing investments.
Moderating the session, Ms. Fatima Mahawa Sandi guided discussions around critical issues, including energy constraints, local content, regional trade opportunities, blended finance, and the need for stronger coordination among government institutions to support industrial growth and mineral processing investments.
The session also featured contributions from Emmanuel Konjoh, Ministry of Trade and Industry, Sudheer Godabole, Odhav Multi Industries SL, Lima Suffian-Kargbo, Sierra Rutile Limited, and Jerry Ahadjie from the African Development Bank, with discussions focusing on building a competitive and sustainable mineral value chain in Sierra Leone.
The engagement formed part of broader activities under the theme: “Our Mineral Resources: Responsible Mining, Value Multiplication and Shared Prosperity.”
*©️ NIB COMS*