By Amin Kef-Ranger
The situation at Koidu Holdings Limited has sparked renewed public demand for the Government to reassess its ties with foreign investors. Central to this is a call for Parliament to review all mining leases, tax exemptions and export contracts, many signed under opaque conditions that critics say fail to serve national interests.
Sierra Leone’s mining sector has long been both a source of wealth and a cause of suffering, marked by environmental harm and worker exploitation. The recent dismissal of over 1,000 local workers by Koidu Holdings highlights the urgent need for reform.
It is time for Sierra Leoneans to reclaim control of their resources. The message is clear: enough is enough.
For decades, the people of Sierra Leone have watched as the country’s vast mineral wealth, including diamonds, gold, rutile, bauxite and iron ore, has been plundered by foreign corporations, often under questionable agreements that have enriched outsiders while impoverishing local communities. The Koidu Holdings saga is not an isolated event; it is a manifestation of a broader systemic failure that demands national reckoning.
The dominance of foreign mining companies has long been touted as a necessary evil; bringing in investment and expertise. Yet, the reality has shown otherwise. Most of these companies, like Koidu Holdings, have failed to deliver meaningful development, instead exploiting both the land and its people. The workers dismissed by Koidu Holdings were simply demanding fair wages, safer working conditions and respect. Instead, they were met with mass sackings; sending a chilling message to all Sierra Leoneans.
This recent episode has brought back into sharp focus the deeper issue: foreign control over our God-given resources has become a national curse rather than a blessing. Foreign-owned entities extract billions of dollars’ worth of resources, yet ordinary Sierra Leoneans continue to live in abject poverty. The wealth generated does not stay in Sierra Leone; it is repatriated abroad, leaving behind degraded environments and broken communities.
A glaring example is the manner in which the head of Koidu Limited allegedly insulted senior Government officials and even the First Lady, Madam Fatima Bio, who attempted to intervene on behalf of aggrieved workers. This blatant disrespect reflects how emboldened some foreign executives have become; operating with impunity, lacking both accountability and regard for local leadership.
The problem is not unique to Koidu Holdings. From Leone Rock Metal Group’s labor unrest to Marampa Mines’ controversial leadership under foreign billionaire Craig Dean, who has reportedly amassed private jets while Sierra Leoneans suffer, there is a recurring pattern: foreign enrichment at the cost of national impoverishment.
There is no shortage of capable Sierra Leoneans who can run our mining sector effectively. Names like Tunde Cole, Mohamed Gento Kamara, Babadi Kamara, Alimu Barrie and Sam King come to mind. Even the owner of Union Trust Bank, Sampa Koroma, has shown that Sierra Leoneans can withstand the harsh realities of business and still succeed. Why, then, is the country still entrusting its most critical assets to foreign hands?
What President Julius Maada Bio and the Government must now prioritize is a full-scale reform of the mining sector. This includes a thorough review of all existing mining agreements, many of which were negotiated behind closed doors and offer little benefit to the country. Parliament must pass legislation that mandates minimum Sierra Leonean equity in all large-scale mining ventures and prioritizes Sierra Leonean-led initiatives for the control, operation and management of mines.
Additionally, the Mineral Wealth Fund must be fully operationalized to ensure that proceeds from mining are invested into national development, health, education, infrastructure and job creation, rather than disappearing into the coffers of multinational firms.
Community leaders, civil society activists and policy experts are now collectively calling for resource sovereignty, control by Sierra Leoneans for the benefit of Sierra Leoneans. The words of a senior citizen in Freetown put it succinctly: “You cannot be both a player and a referee.” Mining companies cannot be allowed to control both extraction and export without third-party oversight. It is a recipe for exploitation.
The First Lady’s solidarity with the sacked workers shows that there are voices within the system calling for justice. But solidarity alone is not enough, concrete policy actions must follow.
The time to act is now. Sierra Leoneans must rise to reclaim what is rightfully theirs. The mines beneath our soil must no longer be seen as the inheritance of foreign profiteers. We need a future where our children will benefit from our natural wealth, where local businesses can thrive and where Sierra Leoneans do not have to beg for the basic rights and dignity they deserve in their own land.
The fallout from the Koidu Holdings debacle makes one thing clear—enough is enough. Sierra Leoneans must take ownership of the mines, control the nation’s mineral wealth and shape a future rooted in justice and shared prosperity. This moment must mark a turning point, a bold declaration that exploitation has no place in the country’s destiny. It is time to embrace empowerment, demand ownership and restore national pride.
