By Amin Kef Sesay
The Sierra Leone Minister of Mines and Mineral resources, Foday Rado Yoki, representatives of Russian companies ZYFRA, ALROSA and CHETRA, took part in an interesting panel discussion, “The African Mining Industry: New Russian Technologies and High Efficiency.” As 
in Russia, extractive industries form the basis of the economy in Africa. Thirty percent of the world’s mineral reserves are located on this continent.
“According to government data, in South Africa alone, mining contributes eight out of every 100 rand to the overall economy, and accounts for one out of every 40 jobs,” says Igor Bogachev, Chairman of the subcommittee on digital economy of the Russian Union of Industrialists and entrepreneurs.
“At the same time, it is important to consider the harsh climates in which these enterprises are located, the growing health and safety requirements, and the challenges of hiring highly qualified personnel. Without automation and robotics, it would be impossible to solve these problems,” added Bogachev.
“At ZYFRA, we offer regional players automated control system solutions for mining and transport complexes, as well as robotic equipment,” said Pavel Rastopshin, Managing Director of ZYFRA, the first company in Russia to develop a robot dump truck.
“The use of robotic technology is 20% higher compared to conventional machinery. Thanks to such technology, the driver of dump trucks can transition into a control center operator, overseeing the use of several vehicles at once. This fall, our robots were put to use in the SUEK quarry in Khakassia and Morocco. Our next destination for this technology is South Africa,” added Rashtopshin.
The panellists agreed that traditional mining methods are becoming increasingly costly, while productivity is declining due to high maintenance costs, low equipment reliability, reactive troubleshooting, low equipment utilization and safety incidents.
According to General Maniema Mining Company Chief Executive George Oyema, improving workplace safety and productivity “serves the interests of both Unions and workers, as well as owners and ultimately the State by safely increasing the productivity of the industry.”
The Minister of Mining and Mineral resources from Sierra Leone, Foday Rado Yoki, did extremely well throughout the discussion.
