The Environment Protection Agency has secured a record-breaking $26.2 million in financial guarantees from 11 mining companies to support environmental restoration and mine rehabilitation efforts across Sierra Leone.
The announcement was made in Freetown on Monday, marking what officials described as a major step toward strengthening environmental accountability within the country’s mining sector.
Executive Chairman of the EPA, Abu‑Bakar S. Massaquoi, said the achievement represents the largest amount ever secured by the agency for environmental rehabilitation purposes.
According to him, the guarantees are intended to ensure that mining companies take responsibility for restoring mined-out lands, addressing environmental degradation, and reducing the long-term burden often placed on local communities affected by mining activities.
“This is a strong step towards responsible mining and greater protection for our land, rivers, forests, and communities,” Massaquoi stated.
The EPA explained that companies which fully comply with environmental regulations and rehabilitation standards will be issued Environmental Compliance Assurance Certificates, while mine valuation exercises for other operators will continue as part of ongoing enforcement measures across the sector.
The agency also stressed that the guarantees are designed to prevent situations where abandoned mining sites leave behind environmental hazards and damaged ecosystems without adequate restoration plans.
Abu‑Bakar S. Massaquoi commended mining companies that have complied with the environmental requirements and urged others operating within Sierra Leone to follow the same path.
He reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to stricter enforcement, environmental protection, and sustainable mining practices aimed at balancing economic growth with ecological preservation.
Industry observers say the development signals a growing push by Sierra Leonean authorities to strengthen environmental governance within the extractive sector while ensuring that mining activities contribute meaningfully to national development without compromising natural resources and community wellbeing.