Guinean President Mamadi Doumbouya is calling on domestic and international investors to seize the opportunities presented by the Simandou mining, rail, and port megaproject.
It is an initiative framed as a catalyst for the country’s economic diversification and industrial transformation.
“You are looking for stability: Guinea offers it. You are looking for a clear outlook: the ‘Simandou 2040’ program paves the way. You are looking for opportunities: they await you,” the head of state declared in the late afternoon, at the opening of the inaugural Simandou Mining Summit, held on Kassa Island, off the coast of Conakry.
Centred on the theme “The Mining Industry: A Driver of Economic Diversification in the Era of Simandou 2040,” this three-day gathering comes one year after the official launch of the integrated Simandou project, inaugurated on November 11, 2025, at the port of Morebayah in
the presence of several African leaders and international officials.
The result of a partnership between the Guinean state and the corporate groups Baowu Steel, Chinalco, Rio Tinto, and Winning International, this megaproject – representing a total investment
exceeding $20 billion – encompasses the extraction of iron ore, the construction of a railway network spanning over 650 kilometres, and the development of port infrastructure for ore exports.
For Mamadi Doumbouya, the first shipment of iron ore from Simandou, dispatched by sea on November 11, 2025, symbolises the realisation of a project long defined by delays and missed opportunities.
The Guinean president highlighted the integrated supply chain – comprising the mine, the Trans-Guinean railway, and the mineral and commercial port – while emphasising the need to build on this momentum through the local processing of resources.
“Guinea will no longer be content to export its resources in their raw state; it will process them domestically,” he asserted, pointing to the planned construction of a steel mill and the emergence of the first alumina refineries.
The Guinean head of state also presented the “Simandou 2040” programme – a 15-year socio-economic transformation plan – as the framework for maximising the benefits of this mega-project.
The initiative aims to leverage natural resources as a driver for job creation, vocational training, business development, and industrialisation.
In this context, he cited the ‘Compagnie du TransGuineen’ (CTG) – tasked with providing various operators with fair access to the infrastructure – as well as the Nimba Mining Company and the Nimba Gold Refinery, which he announced is already operational.
Addressing investors, Mamadi Doumbouya underscored the opportunities Guinea offers in the mining, energy, agriculture, logistics, digital, and tourism sectors.
He advocated for “equal-footing” partnerships, rooted in the fulfilment of commitments and the equitable sharing of value.
He further stressed the importance of youth training – notably through the Simandou Academy – to address the skills requirements essential to this economic transformation. The Simandou megaproject – in which Guinea holds a 15% stake through the ‘Compagnie du TransGuineen’ – is
part of a national development program that envisions over $200 billion in investments over fifteen years.
AC/Sf/fss/as/APA