President Dr Julius Maada Bio hosted a luncheon at the State House to officially launch the West Africa Integration and Investment Summit (WAIIS) 2026 and to attract strategic private-sector partnerships for the November regional event.
The presence of mining executives and government officials at the summit showed the administration’s commitment to sell Sierra Leone as a premier investment destination and a regional economic hub. In his remarks, President Bio said that WAIIS 2026 is “a pivotal moment for Sierra Leone’s transformative agenda” and also noted that it reflects the shared vision of the government and investors for trust and prosperity.
“This Summit is about laying the groundwork for an integrated African market where more value remains on the continent, “said the President, “You are more than just mineral resource operators, you are development partners.” The Summit is a platform for governments, investors, financiers and private sector actors to collaborate and to search for investment opportunities in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
President Bio said WAIIS will provide dedicated investment rooms for each sector to facilitate structured business engagements. These designated areas will allow project sponsors, mining companies, development finance institutions, commercial banks, private equity firms and investors to meet face-to-face and to progress bankable deals. He formally invited mining companies to come on board as funding sponsors and strategic partners to WAIIS 2026, emphasising that their participation would help to create business opportunities, garner investment commitments and promote transformative projects that would help to improve Sierra Leone’s competitiveness and deepen regional economic linkages.
The President reaffirmed the government’s commitment to a stable investment climate and assured participants of continued policy consistency, regulatory transparency and responsible, environmentally sustainable mining practices. He pledged to improve critical infrastructure and energy access, increase local content and workforce development, and build stronger public-private partnerships to increase the value of mineral resources.
Hon. Dr Kandeh K. Yumkella, Chairman of the Presidential Initiative on Climate Change, Renewable Energy and Food Security, praised President Bio’s leadership, saying the Julius Maada Bio International Conference Centre is a tangible legacy to host the Summit. “WAIIS 2026 is built on four strategic pillars: energy, trade and industrial growth; strategic minerals and natural resource development; agribusiness and food systems transformation; and digital transformation and connectivity,” Dr Yumkella said. The Summit will produce priority investment pipelines, analytical reports and outcome documents that will guide subsequent investment. It will also promote joint efforts between governments and the private sector to accelerate regional integration through bankable projects.
WAIIS 2026 was strongly supported by representatives of the mining industry. The Summit was hailed by the Chief Executives and General Managers present as a laudable initiative that has the potential to engender meaningful partnerships and investment agreements that would be of benefit to Sierra Leone, the ECOWAS region and the African continent as a whole. They pledged their companies to WAIIS support, including the sector investment rooms, and the potential for sponsorship and collaborative ventures from Summit engagements.
Senior executives from Sierra Leone’s leading local and international mining companies, including Leone Rock Metal Group, Sierra Rutile Limited, Fison Resources SL Limited, FG Gold Mining Company, PG Mining SL Limited, Leone Afric Metals Sierra Leone Limited, Minenet Company Limited, CTC Mining and Gold Lion Mining attended the luncheon. High-ranking government officials were present, underscoring the administration’s multi-stakeholder approach to the Summit.
The dialogue between State House and the mining industry is indicative of a deliberate approach to harmonising public policy and private investment in the drive for sustainable development, improved value retention on the continent and increased economic integration across West Africa as preparations for WAIIS 2026 are underway.
