During the first phase (2009-2016), Sierra Leone laid the foundation for improved governance in the mining sector. It supported new legislation, institutions, capacity building and increased transparency. These attracted new investments to the sector allowing its revenues and associated activities to make significant contributions to the country’s economic growth.

Among the most notable achievements of the project was the support provided for the creation of the National Minerals Agency (NMA), the sectors regulatory and survey institution.

“Having hailed from Kono District, addressing the issues surrounding the artisanal mining sector is particularly close to my heart and the EITAP 2 will seek to do this by setting out the policy principles by which the economic and social contribution of the artisanal mining sector will be effectively captured for the benefit of citizens of Sierra Leone,” said Dr. Morie Manyeh, Minister of Mines and Mineral Resources.

The project will also promote cleaner gold production processes amongst artisanal and small-scale miners. This activity will make recommendations along the gold value chain for scaling up the production and marketing of artisanal and small-scale gold resources using a unique Sierra Leonean ‘Green Gold’ brand based on principles of ‘fair mining.’

The new project seeks to further enhance geological knowledge, including building Sierra Leone’s geological infrastructure by supporting the government to conduct an airborne geophysical survey of the whole country as well as complete the coverage of geological maps of Sierra Leone. This enhancement in geological knowledge and improvement in the country’s geological infrastructure will not only support the mining sector but also land use planning, environmental management, civil works, water management, risk hazard management, forestry, agriculture and energy.