Who Builds Sierra Leone’s Future? Mining, Rail, and the Gento Question
By Benjamin S Conteh
Sierra Leone stands at a crossroads. At stake is not only the future of the Tonkolili mine but also a deeper question of national policy: should transformative opportunities be handed solely to foreign investors, or can homegrown entrepreneurs like the Gento Group of Companies be entrusted to drive development?
The Tonkolili mine, one of the country’s richest resource sites, was awarded to Dongi, a foreign company, after parliamentary approval. Yet, since then, very little progress has been seen on the ground. This stagnation has sparked growing frustration among local communities who had anticipated jobs, revenue, and development.
In contrast, the Gento Group of Companies
led by Sierra Leonean businessman Mohamed Gento Kamara had rallied strong local support for its bid. Backed by Paramount Chiefs, local leaders, and community stakeholders, Gento was viewed not just as an investor but as a partner with a proven record of delivering infrastructure across the nation.
Still, the government stood by its decision, arguing that mining rights could not be reassigned once Parliament had approved them. Rather than escalate tensions, Gento shifted his focus. He proposed that government instead award his company the contract to build a railway from Tonkolili to Banana Island an infrastructure project with the potential to transform exports, generate significant government revenue, and create thousands of jobs.
On the same day Gento made his case on Radio Democracy 98.1 FM, the Minister of Finance, at a government press briefing, identified a modern railway system as one of five critical infrastructure priorities for Sierra Leone’s economic growth. This rare alignment between government policy and private initiative underscored the urgency of the project.
And yet, despite this convergence, one question hangs heavy: why has Gento already investing in a modern port at Banana Island
been sidelined?
At its core, this is more than a debate about a mine or a railway. It is a test of Sierra Leone’s commitment to local empowerment. Will the nation seize the chance to build up its own champions, or will it continue down a path where foreign companies dominate transformative projects, leaving local investors on the margins?
For many Sierra Leoneans, the answer will define whether the country is truly ready to embrace local content and national ownership
or whether opportunities will continue to slip away.
