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The Minister of Mines and Mineral Resources, Julius Daniel Mattai, is to partake at the upcoming African Energy Forum 2026, scheduled to take place in Cape Town, South Africa, from 16-18 June.
Minister Mattai will represent Sierra Leone in a series of high-level discussions focused on industrialisation and the strategic importance of critical minerals, as the continent seeks to strengthen its position within global mining and energy value chains.
According to the forum programme, the minister is slated to participate in five key sessions over the three-day event, highlighting Sierra Leone’s growing engagement in Africa’s extractive and energy sectors.
On Tuesday, 16 June, Minister Mattai will join the Ministerial Town Hall on Regional Production Hubs to Drive Industrialisation at 14:30. The session will bring together African vice presidents and ministers to examine how regional production hubs can help secure supply chains and accelerate industrial growth across the continent.
Later that day, at 16:15, he will take part in a closed-door Leadership Roundtable on “Building Africa’s Industrialised Future,” engaging with senior public and private sector leaders on strategies to advance Africa’s industrial agenda.
On Wednesday, 17 June, the minister will feature as a speaker on the panel discussion titled “Rising Global Demand for Critical Minerals: Africa’s Opportunity,” scheduled for 09:00. The session is expected to explore global demand trends, emerging partnerships such as the Lobito Corridor and the Belt and Road Initiative, and pathways for African nations to strengthen local processing capacity and maximise value from their mineral resources.
Minister Mattai will return to the stage on Thursday, 18 June, for a session on “Powering Downstream Mining Capacity in Africa” at 13:30. Discussions will focus on the need for reliable energy infrastructure, the expansion of local mineral processing, and the adoption of circular economy solutions to improve water and energy efficiency in mining operations.
The minister’s participation will conclude with a closed-door High-Level Roundtable on Critical Minerals at 15:15, where African ministers and mining executives will deliberate on the future direction of the sector.
Sierra Leone’s presence at the forum comes at a critical time, as global demand for essential minerals continues to rise and African countries intensify efforts to transition from raw material exports to value-added processing and industrial development.
The African Energy Forum programme remains subject to change as planning continues.
