The National Minerals Agency (NMA), in collaboration with the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), has concluded a one-day in-house training for newly recruited Assistant Mining Engineers, Geologists and Mines Compliance Officers as part of efforts to strengthen ethics, integrity, accountability and compliance in Sierra Leone’s mining sector.
The training, held on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, at the NMA headquarters in New England Ville, Freetown, was organized under the theme: “Upholding Ethics and Integrity in the Workplace.” Similar sessions were previously conducted in Makeni, Bo, Kono and Kenema for newly recruited NMA personnel.
In his welcome address, NMA Director General Ing. Hadji Dabo described the training as critical to maintaining professionalism and accountability among staff, particularly those responsible for mining compliance and supervision.
He disclosed that the Agency is dealing with concerns over fraud in the mining sector and acknowledged that some of its personnel had allegedly been involved in fraudulent activities.
“We’re having a lot of issues with fraud in the sector and we understand some of our own staff are involved in these nefarious activities,” Ing. Hadji Dabo said.
He warned that the Agency would take firm action against staff found engaging in fraudulent practices, including possible referral to the police and ACC.
“If anybody is caught in fraudulent activity, we are going to hand you over to the police and maybe Anti-Corruption will be involved too. And that would be the end of your service to the Agency,” he cautioned.
Ing. Hadji Dabo also urged employees to act as “watchmen” for one another by reporting misconduct and other activities that could undermine the Agency’s operations. He encouraged participants to take the lessons from the training back to their respective workplaces and implement them.
Victoria Fumikeh Nicol, Library and Research Manager and Focal Person for the NMA Integrity Management Committee, urged the new recruits to uphold professionalism and ethical standards in the discharge of their duties.
She said the training was designed to improve staff understanding of applicable laws, compliance responsibilities, ethical conduct and corruption-prevention strategies.
Victoria Fumikeh Nicol cautioned staff against allowing themselves to be compromised while carrying out their official responsibilities noting that employees in the mining sector may encounter individuals who could attempt to influence their decisions.
She said the NMA would not tolerate fraudulent or corrupt practices, adding that staff found engaging in such activities could face disciplinary action, including dismissal or be handed over to the appropriate authorities following investigations.
The Compliance and Audit Manager, Daphre C. A. Winnebah, described integrity as one of the Agency’s most important values and urged every employee to make it a workplace “watchword.”
“Integrity is all about knowing what to do when nobody is watching you; when nobody is there for you to be honest, to be transparent in your dealings, to be accountable in whatever you are doing and to be professional in the conduct of your duties and responsibilities,” Daphre C. A. Winnebah said.
She noted that NMA personnel handle public revenue, resources, information and decision-making processes, making accountability essential to protecting the Agency’s reputation.
Daphre C. A. Winnebah warned that even strong institutional systems could fail if individuals disregard established ethical standards, policies and procedures. She therefore encouraged staff to report unethical practices to Management or the Integrity Management Committee.
“Let us make integrity not just a subject for discussion. Let integrity be part of us,” she urged.
Human Resources Manager, NMA, Bintu B. Abu also called on the newly recruited personnel to reject corruption and protect both their careers and the reputation of the NMA.
Bintu B. Abu said corruption could be prevented if individuals change their mindset and refuse to participate in wrongdoing even when others are doing so.
“It is possible for Sierra Leone to be corruption-free. It is our mindset. If we change our mindset, things could be possible for us,” she said.
She explained that the annual engagement with the ACC is intended not to intimidate staff but to educate them about practices that could constitute misconduct or corruption.
Bintu B. Abu further emphasized that individual misconduct could affect the reputation of the entire institution.
“It is not Bintu; it is the NMA,” she said, stressing the collective responsibility of employees to protect the Agency’s credibility.
She also urged staff to value their employment and avoid actions that could jeopardize their careers, noting that job opportunities remain difficult to secure.
“Don’t allow one-day issue to destroy your future,” Bintu B. Abu cautioned.
For the ACC, Deputy Director of the Prevention Department, Samuel Marah, commended the NMA for organizing the training and described ethics and integrity as key components of corruption prevention.
Samuel Marah said combating corruption requires more than laws, regulations and institutional controls, emphasizing the importance of addressing individual attitudes and mindsets.
“The Commissioner is very keen on prevention and one key strategy of prevention is ethics and integrity,” he said.
He reaffirmed the ACC’s commitment to working with the NMA and other Government institutions, noting that the Commission’s anti-corruption efforts depend on collaboration with Ministries, Departments, Agencies and the public.
Samuel Marah said the training would enable participants to examine the concepts of ethics, integrity and corruption, identify corruption risks in the workplace and explore strategies for mitigating those risks.
He added that participants would also examine offences under the Anti-Corruption Act 2008, as amended in 2019, as well as practical examples of ethical dilemmas that could arise in the course of their professional duties.
He expressed hope that the training would strengthen participants’ understanding of ethical conduct and enable them to contribute to building a stronger culture of integrity within the NMA.
The training forms part of the NMA and ACC’s broader efforts to promote accountability, ethical conduct and corruption prevention among personnel working in Sierra Leone’s mining sector.
