By Shadrach Aziz Kamara
Leone Rock Metal Group (LRMG) says its Community Development Agreement (CDA) model is transforming mining communities through transparent governance, education investment, women’s empowerment, and large-scale infrastructure development.
Speaking during Sierra Leone Mining Week 2026, the company’s Chief Technical Officer, Salim Sillah defended the effectiveness of the country’s community development framework and rejected criticism that mining community funds are poorly managed.
Sillah explained that Leone Rock began implementing the mandatory 1% community development payment immediately after acquiring its licenses and worked closely with the National Minerals Agency to establish transparent governance systems.
“We started straight off with the 1% payment,” Sillah said. “The communities had time to organize themselves before implementation began.”
According to Sillah, the company’s mining operations span three chiefdoms, each represented within a Community Development Committee (CDC).
The CDC structure includes: Paramount chiefs, Women leaders, Youth representatives, Members of Parliament, Religious leaders, Local council representatives and National Minerals Agency officials
He emphasized that meetings are open to the public and project decisions undergo multiple levels of review before approval.
“All projects implemented must go through the CDC first,” he explained. “Then they move to a higher-level steering committee for final approval.”
The steering committee includes parliamentarians, local council officials, paramount chiefs, and an independently elected CDC chairperson.
Sillah stressed that no individual chief or politician can access community funds for personal use because all expenditures require documentation, committee approval, and multiple signatories.
Education has emerged as one of the largest community investments funded through the CDA structure.
Sillah said mining communities historically suffered from high school dropout rates because many young people abandoned education for illicit gold mining activities.
To reverse the trend, communities identified former students and encouraged them to return to higher education.
“At the moment we have 750 students from the three chiefdoms currently in university fully paid for,” Sillah revealed.
In addition, the CDC is funding volunteer teachers in remote communities where qualified educators are reluctant to work.
The program currently supports 150 youth teachers, with plans to expand to 300.
The CTO disclosed that mining communities are now moving beyond small-scale projects toward major public infrastructure initiatives.
Among the flagship projects approved: A 102 billion Leone water project involving dams, reservoirs, and pipe-borne water systems expected to benefit 80,000 residents, and A major road construction initiative connecting remote communities to mining and commercial corridors
According to Sillah, the road project will receive:, $24 million from Leone Rock Metal Group, Additional funding from government and Long-term financing through future CDA contributions
He noted that Leone Rock’s mine life exceeds 100 years, providing confidence that future community payments will sustain large-scale development planning.
Sillah acknowledged that women in mining communities often face cultural barriers preventing them from working directly in male-dominated mining camps.
To address this imbalance, the CDC launched a women’s economic empowerment initiative targeting agriculture and small business development.
The first phase has already provided funding support to 300 women, with expansion plans to reach 600 beneficiaries.
The company is also helping create market access by linking agricultural production to demand generated by Leone Rock’s workforce of approximately 8,000 employees.
“We decided the women could engage in agriculture because there is already a market there,” Sillah explained.
Recognizing that many young people do not qualify for university admission, Leone Rock has partnered with the National Youth Commission to establish vocational training programs.
The initiative will train 300 youths in multiple technical trades including: Electrical installation, Carpentry, Machinery maintenance, Welding and Mechanical skills
Each participant is expected to graduate with at least five practical skills.
Sillah said the goal is to prepare young people for both mining sector employment and broader community economic opportunities.
Addressing criticism that mining communities are not seeing enough benefits, Sillah argued that decades of underdevelopment cannot be reversed overnight.
“Our communities have been deprived for a very long time,” he said. “When development projects start coming in, it takes years before the full impact becomes visible.”
Using a metaphor, he compared social transformation to repeatedly striking a rock before it finally cracks.
“The final hit is not what breaks the rock,” he said. “It is the many hits before it.”
Sillah concluded by welcoming stronger scrutiny from civil society organizations, journalists, and independent oversight groups.
He said Leone Rock is confident in its systems because projects are implemented jointly with government institutions and local communities.
“We are not really concerned about oversight because we believe what we are doing is good,” he stated.
The remarks come amid growing national debate over how Sierra Leone’s mining wealth should be distributed and how community development agreements can deliver lasting local impact.
