In 2024, Sierra Leone was the world’s third-ranked producer of rutile and the ninth-ranked producer of gem diamond and zirconium mineral concentrates, accounting for 17%, 1.9%, and 1% of global production, respectively. Other mineral commodities produced in the country included bauxite, cement (hydraulic), diamond, gold, iron ore, and titanium minerals (ilmenite and leucoxene). In 2023, the last latest year for which data were available, production of the mineral industry in the country contributed about 5.3% to Sierra Leone’s gross domestic product (GDP). Sierra Leone exported gem diamond mainly to India, Belgium, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Thailand.
The legislative framework for the mineral sector in Sierra Leone is provided by the Mines and Minerals Development Act of 2022, which defines the institutional roles and responsibilities of the National Minerals Agency (NMA). The Act requires that the identities of natural persons or beneficial owners with 5% or more shares in any company operating in the mining sector in Sierra Leone should be disclosed and requires the mandatory disclosure of political actors, and the right for the Government of Sierra Leone to acquire a 10% free carried interest in new companies registered to operate in the mining sector. Most mineral commodities in Sierra Leone were produced by privately owned companies.
