Guinea mining project helps upgrade skills

Beyond building mines, railways and ports, Chinese companies involved in Guinea's Simandou iron ore project are investing in technology transfer and talent development to equip local workers with the skills to operate and manage one of Africa's largest mining and infrastructure projects.

Sophie Xiaohui Lyu, chief executive at project developer Winning Consortium Simandou, said the long-term success of the project, inaugurated in November, will depend not only on infrastructure investments but also on cultivating local talent capable of managing the project independently.

"The biggest resource is not what we mine, but what we cultivate," Lyu said.

Regarded as one of the world's largest untapped deposits of high-grade iron ore, the Simandou project includes a mine and a railway spanning more than 600 kilometers from southeastern Guinea to the Atlantic coast, making it one of Africa's largest rail infrastructure investments. The International Monetary Fund said the project could expand Guinea's GDP by more than one-fourth by 2030.

The project is being developed through a partnership involving the Guinean government, British-Australian mining company Rio Tinto, and Chinese companies including Baowu, Aluminum Corporation of China and Shandong Weiqiao Pioneering Group, with total investment exceeding $20 billion.

Citing the case of a 27-year-old Guinean woman who studied at the project's railway institute, Lyu said there are several examples of local capacity building already taking place under the project.

"The lady now operates trains on the Simandou Trans-Guinean Railway, transporting iron ore from the mountainous mining region to the coast," she said.

Human capital

Lyu also noted the success of a Guinean executive who spent eight years studying in China, earned a doctorate in agriculture and, after returning home, rose from an environmental manager to deputy general manager of the company.

"Human capital takes time, patience and investment to cultivate, but it is essential. While infrastructure connects places, it is people that connect purpose," she said.

Under President Mamady Doumbouya, the Guinean government has championed the Simandou project not only as a mining venture but also as a vehicle for economic transformation, demonstrating how strategic investments can generate wider development benefits.

Beyond mining, the railway corridor is expected to create opportunities for agriculture, logistics, manufacturing and small businesses along its route.

Lyu said Chinese partners are also working with local enterprises and farmers by providing financing, training and technical support to help them participate in procurement opportunities linked to the project.

"Sometimes the challenge is not only access to finance but also having the skills required to compete for contracts and become part of the ecosystem," she said.

Bouna Sylla, Guinea's minister of mines and geology, expressed confidence that the revenues and infrastructure generated by the venture from the project will help diversify the economy, stimulate industrial development and create a new generation of skilled professionals capable of leading the country's future growth.

"The mines are one of our strengths, together with infrastructure, but the real question is how we can use mining as a catalyst for developing the rest of the economy," Sylla said.

Guinea is encouraging investments in emerging technologies, including drones, for mining and agriculture, while putting in place training programs aimed at equipping young people with the skills needed to take part in the country's economic transformation, he said.

The government's Simandou 2040 development blueprint seeks to use revenues and infrastructure generated by the project to stimulate growth in other sectors, including manufacturing, agriculture and technology, he added.

victor@chinadailyafrica.com