Sierra Leone has renewed its call for African countries to move beyond exporting raw minerals and natural resources by prioritizing local processing, industrial development and job creation.
The call was made at Africa Oil Week 2026 on September 1, 2026 in Accra, Ghana, where Deputy Minister of Mines and Mineral Resources and Minister of Employment, Labour and Social Security Designate, Umaru Napoleon Koroma, led Sierra Leone’s delegation.
He was accompanied by the Director of Policy and Research at the Ministry of Mines and Mineral Resources, Dr. John D. Cooper.
The delegation engaged policymakers, investors and industry leaders on Africa’s preparations for the global energy transition under the theme, “Investing in Africa’s Natural Resources.”
During panel discussions and roundtable sessions, Umaru Napoleon Koroma said Sierra Leone remains committed to ensuring that Africa derives greater economic benefits from its abundant natural resources.
He explained that Sierra Leone has consistently advocated for beneficiation, value addition and value multiplication over the past three years, particularly as global demand for critical minerals continues to grow.
According to him, Africa cannot continue to be described as the world’s richest continent in natural resources while millions of its people remain poor and mining communities lack basic infrastructure, employment and economic opportunities.
Umaru Napoleon Koroma said the current generation of Africans is demanding a resource-governance system that promotes local processing, industrialization, skills development and sustainable employment.
He stressed that processing minerals within Africa would enable countries to retain more economic value, create jobs for young people, strengthen domestic industries and improve the livelihoods of communities where natural resources are extracted.
The Deputy Minister also called for stronger cooperation among African countries, including the harmonization of policies and regulations to support regional value chains for resource extraction, beneficiation and manufacturing.
He maintained that coordinated continental action would strengthen Africa’s negotiating position and ensure that the continent participates meaningfully in every stage of the global mineral and energy value chain.
Addressing prospective investors, Umaru Napoleon Koroma described Sierra Leone as a stable democracy that has recorded five peaceful democratic transitions of power. He reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to honouring agreements, protecting legitimate investments and maintaining an enabling environment in which businesses can operate successfully.
Sierra Leone’s participation at Africa Oil Week 2026 reinforces the country’s growing contribution to discussions on an inclusive African energy transition; one that moves the continent from being merely a supplier of raw materials to becoming an active participant in processing, manufacturing, skills development, employment and wealth creation.
