Julius Daniel Mattai,
Sierra Leone’s Minister of Mines and Mineral Resources, Julius Daniel Mattai, delivered a compelling keynote address at the 10th Powering Africa Summit, emphasizing the transformative role of U.S.-Africa energy partnerships in shaping the country’s energy sector.
Minister Mattai highlighted the Power Africa Initiative, which has significantly bolstered Sierra Leone’s regulatory, water, and electricity sectors through a US$44.4 million Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) grant.
He also celebrated the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation’s (DFC) US$412 million investment in the Nant Energy gas-to-power project. This landmark initiative will double Sierra Leone’s energy capacity with the construction of a new 105-megawatt thermal plant.
Looking to the future, Minister Mattai outlined the US$480 million MCC Compact, launched in 2024, which aims to provide electricity to 4.6 million people through critical transmission, distribution, and sector reform projects.
He stressed that these efforts will not only power homes and businesses but also attract investment, drive industrial growth, and unlock Sierra Leone’s vast mineral wealth, including lithium, nickel, and rare earth elements.
Reaffirming Sierra Leone’s commitment to sustainable, market-driven energy solutions, Minister Mattai called on investors, policymakers, and international partners to build on these successes.
“Sierra Leone stands at the threshold of an energy revolution,” he declared, urging stakeholders to seize the moment and accelerate progress toward a future of affordable, reliable, and secure energy for all.
