The Angola International Mining Conference (AIMC 2025) opened with a major step toward continental mineral cooperation as the Minister of Mines and Mineral Resources of Sierra Leone, Julius Daniel Mattai, engaged in a strategic bilateral meeting with Diamantino Pedro Azevedo, Minister of Mineral Resources, Petroleum and Gas of Angola. The landmark engagement, held from October 22 to 23, 2025, at the Talatona Convention Center in Luanda, laid the foundation for a new phase of mineral sector collaboration between the two countries.
Julius Daniel Mattai, who also serves as Chairman of the African Diamond Producers Association (ADPA), led a high-powered Sierra Leonean delegation comprising Dr. Kelvin Anderson, Deputy Director-General of the National Minerals Agency (NMA); Mohamed Bah, Director of Precious Minerals Trading (PMT); Salieu Bah, PMT Manager and Ms. Ella Muchemwa, Executive Director of ADPA.
In his address, the Minister underscored Sierra Leone’s readiness to deepen ties with Angola across several key sectors; solid mineral exploration, oil and gas development, advanced mining technologies and human capital enhancement. He highlighted that such cooperation would drive responsible, inclusive and innovative growth for Sierra Leone’s extractive industries.
Responding, Diamantino Pedro Azevedo welcomed the initiative and proposed the swift formalization of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to guide future collaboration. A joint technical team from both nations is expected to finalize the draft within two weeks, with the signing ceremony scheduled to take place in one of Angola’s leading mining communities.
The Sierra Leonean delegation will also explore Angola’s community development model, recognized as one of the most successful in Africa. This model integrates mining with social investment, focusing on education, healthcare, agriculture and infrastructure.
Angolan state-owned diamond companies Endiama and Luele were lauded for their strong commitment to local content, environmental protection and community empowerment, offering critical lessons for Sierra Leone’s evolving mineral economy.
Both Ministers reaffirmed their belief that Africa’s mineral wealth must directly benefit its people through ownership and local participation. The partnership will therefore focus on:
- Training Sierra Leoneans in Angola’s technical institutes in diamond cutting, polishing, welding and electrical trades.
- Encouraging joint ventures in diamonds, industrial minerals, aggregates and oil and gas.
- Enhancing local beneficiation and capacity-building initiatives to strengthen Sierra Leone’s industrial competence.
As ADPA Chairman, Julius Mattai raised institutional challenges facing the Association, notably the freezing of its bank account due to tax classification issues. Minister Diamantino Pedro Azevedo pledged to personally engage Angola’s Ministry of Finance and the Administração Geral Tributária (AGT) to resolve the matter. He also confirmed Angola’s ongoing support for ADPA’s work and the ratification of its Agreement by the Angolan Parliament.
The meeting ended with both Ministers reaffirming their shared vision of an Africa-led, value-driven mineral sector. They agreed to accelerate the MoU process, strengthen ADPA’s operational base and initiate skills exchange programs as immediate priorities.
Minister Julius Daniel Mattai reiterated Sierra Leone’s determination to transform its mineral wealth into sustainable human capital, while Minister Diamantino Pedro Azevedo expressed Angola’s commitment to walking alongside Sierra Leone on a transformative journey.
The partnership between Sierra Leone and Angola, two mineral-rich African nations, emerges as a beacon of continental collaboration, innovation and economic empowerment, setting the stage for a more self-reliant and prosperous Africa.
