Following its October 2025 face-to-face community townhall with residents of Valunia Chiefdom and representatives of FG Gold Mining Company, the Africa Faith and Justice Network (AFJN) has taken note of a government inspection visit to the Baomahun Gold Project. The visit, led by the Ministry of Mines and Mineral Resources in collaboration with the National Minerals Agency (NMA), focused on the project’s readiness for full-scale mining and commercial production expected in 2026.
A key highlight of the visit was FG Gold’s presentation of its ongoing and planned community-focused initiatives in the host communities across Bo and Tonkolili Districts—many of which align with priority concerns raised by community members during AFJN’s earlier engagement.
According to the company, efforts are being made to support local livelihoods and improve social infrastructure. FG Gold reported implementing skills training programmes aimed at equipping youth and former artisanal miners with alternative sources of income as the area transitions to large-scale mining. These issues—youth employment, livelihood transitions, and the future of artisanal miners—were central areas of interest for AFJN during its community townhall discussions.
The company also outlined its investments in community infrastructure, including the construction of schools, renovation of health centres, drilling of boreholes to improve access to clean water, and rehabilitation of local roads. These development priorities reflect key concerns consistently raised by residents during AFJN’s engagement with the community.
In addition, scholarships and vocational training opportunities were highlighted as part of the company’s broader social investment strategy, aimed at building local capacity and supporting long-term community development—another area AFJN has identified as critical in ensuring that host communities benefit meaningfully from mining activities.
FG Gold further reported efforts to increase local participation in its operations, including expanding employment opportunities for Sierra Leoneans, promoting women’s inclusion in the workforce, and engaging locally registered companies in procurement and construction. The company indicated that more than half of its annual spending on goods and services is retained within the country.
These updates come in the context of AFJN’s prior engagement, where community members expressed both expectations and concerns regarding employment, infrastructure, and equitable benefit-sharing. While FG Gold’s reported initiatives suggest responsiveness to some of these issues, AFJN underscores the importance of ensuring that such commitments are fully implemented and experienced by the communities themselves.
AFJN therefore intends to follow up with affected communities to verify these claims and assess the actual impact of the reported programmes and projects. Particular attention will be given to whether the company’s activities are addressing the priority areas previously identified by community members.
AFJN remains committed to promoting transparency, accountability, and community participation, ensuring that development promises made by mining companies translate into tangible and equitable outcomes for the people of Valunia Chiefdom and surrounding communities.
