Governance in mining: Strengthening accountability and community participation

Sierra Leone’s mining industry is a cornerstone of the national economy, with diamonds, rutile, bauxite, and iron ore driving growth and employment. But weak regulatory enforcement, corporate influence, and the technical complexity of mining operations often exclude communities from meaningful participation in governance. Without adequate platforms to express grievances or hold authorities accountable, environmental degradation, land disputes, and corruption go unchecked.

Our project "Supporting Media for Transparency and Accountability in Natural Resource Governance" combined journalist training with community-focused platforms to strengthen accountability in the extractive sector.

Our research has found that the programme improved investigative and ethical reporting skills of the journalists. The stories they produced not only raised awareness and increased community engagement and oversight but also persuaded authorities to address governance failures.

Download the report to discover the full findings of this project.