Cape Town, South Africa – February 9, 2026: Sierra Leone has made a powerful impression at the Investing in Africa Mining Indaba as Minister of Mines and Mineral Resources, Julius Daniel Mattai, championed responsible investment and sustainable growth in the nation’s mining sector. The highlight of the opening day was the signing of a landmark USD 25 million facility between Ecobank and Meya Mining Company, marking a new era for Sierra Leone’s diamond industry.
Leading a high-level delegation of government officials, parliamentarians, National Minerals Agency representatives, and mining executives, Minister Mattai underscored Sierra Leone’s ambition to become Africa’s premier destination for value-driven mining investment. He emphasized that the Ecobank-Meya partnership would accelerate Meya Mining’s transition to full commercial production, creating over 400 direct jobs and thousands of indirect opportunities—more than 90 percent of which will benefit Sierra Leoneans.
“This is a landmark in our collective journey to transform Sierra Leone’s rich mineral endowment into broad-based and lasting prosperity for our citizens,” Minister Mattai declared, praising Ecobank’s strategic vision and Meya Mining’s resilience in the Kono diamond belt.
The Minister also highlighted President Julius Maada Bio’s reforms that have strengthened transparency, enforced international standards such as the Kimberley Process, and promoted local value addition. He stressed that Sierra Leone’s diamonds must now symbolize peace, innovation, and shared prosperity.
Meya Mining CEO Jan Joubert and Ecobank executives echoed optimism for the sector’s resurgence, commending the government’s enabling environment for private sector growth.
As the Indaba continues, Minister Mattai is scheduled to hold further high-level engagements with the World Bank, Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), and US International Development Finance Corporation (IDF) to attract additional investment into Sierra Leone’s mining sector.