By ManoReporters Writer
Guinea based investment consultant, Abdul Rahamane Diallo, is on a mission to sell investment opportunities in the Mano River Union (MRU) to potential investors in the United States.
Mr Abdul Diallo’s focus is Guinea and Sierra Leone, and he recently led an investment promotion mission to Washington, DC in his new role as Senior Advisor for the California based Africa Project Advisor and Groupe AOC to promote the countries’ investment potentials.
According to Abdul Diallo, the objective of the US tour was to promote investment in key strategic sectors in the two countries, to forge strategic partnerships between US firms and companies in the two neighboring MRU countries.
Abdul Diallo, accompanied by the former US Ambassador to Guinea, Patricia Moller, and Dr. Mima Nedelcovych, Founding Director of Africa Global Schaffer, met with decision-makers and the leadership of private institutions to discuss investment and commercial opportunities in Sierra Leone and Guinea.
The tour lasted for three days – August 12 to 14. During this period, the team met various officials, including Florizelle Liser, President and Executive Director of the Corporate Council on Africa (CCA) and Biova Kabine, its Senior Program Director. At this meeting, Ambassador Moller and Dr. Mima presented the West Africa LNG investment in Guinea, which entails the importation and distribution of liquefied natural gas to mining companies for processing bauxite into aluminum as well as for domestic use. The project also involves the supply of energy to Guinea’s capital, Conakry.
Abdul Diallo made a presentation on other opportunities the two countries offer to American investors.
“Sierra Leone offers significant investment opportunities in diverse sectors. The country is rich in mineral reserves and natural resources with a favorable tropical climate, fertile soil, agriculture, fishery resources, a natural landscape with first class beaches offering touristic attraction, and vast mineral resources, especially iron ore, diamonds, gold, rutile, ilmenite, and bauxite,” Mr Abdul Diallo told the CCA officials, according to a statement shared with ManoReporters.
He also cited potential opportunities in energy, water, construction, telecommunications and digital infrastructure development.
“In Guinea, the mining sector offers significant opportunities and a solid legal framework for investment,” Abdul Diallo noted and further citing bauxite, iron ore, gold, and diamond as representing key markets for the country.
The investment consultant and team also cited Simandou, an iron ore mining project in Guinea where the construction of a 600 km railway and a deep-water port is underway.
“There are opportunities for exporting machinery and equipment to Guinea, particularly in the mining sector. Opportunities also exist in renewable energy, telecommunications, construction and digital infrastructure,” he said.
Ms. Liser, for her part, highlighted the key role played by the CCA in strengthening investment and trade relations between the US and Africa. She underscored the importance of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) and the US-Africa Summit which she noted serve as platforms for US and African leaders, as well as private sector executives to discuss investment and trade relations.
Ms. Liser also expressed commitment to working with Mr. Diallo to build partnerships between US firms and businesses in Sierra Leone and Guinea.
The Senior Project Advisor during his mission in Washington, met various other officials in strategic institutions, including Guevera Yao, Vice President of Africa Business Center at the United States Chamber of Commerce; Sarah Krech, Desk Officer for Guinea and Sierra Leone, Ashley Boubna, Senior Commercial Officer and Sophia Casetta, all of the State Department.
At the US Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Yao provided an overview of their institution which supports companies in creating wealth and employment while proposing reforms to the US government. The conversation focused on the investment opportunities in Sierra Leone and Guinea. It also touched on ongoing US investments in the mining and financial sectors, notably through Vista Bank, which is present in both MRU nations and plays a major role in supporting US investment in the region
Mr. Yao suggested for the identification of specific projects in the two countries for continued engagement. He also spoke about his tenure at ECOWAS and the African Development Bank, which gives him a deep understanding of the economic potential of the region.
Abdoul Diallo also met Ambassador Atul Keshap, Vice President of the US Chamber of Commerce. Ambassador Keshap notably served in Guinea as Economic Officer at the US Embassy in the 90s. This, , gives him deep knowledge of the region’s economic potential concluded Abdoul Diallo.
At the State Department, Ambassador Moller and Dr. Mima again provided an overview of the West African LNG and energy project in Guinea, noting its immense potential to contribute to transforming the country’s mining sector with value chain in aluminum processing.
Abdoul Diallo delved on the potential of these two resource-rich countries to transform their economies and drive development for the benefit of their populations. He recounted his own background as Senior Political and Commercial Specialist at the United States Embassy in Conakry, which he said will be valuable in his mission to attract American investors to Guinea and Sierra Leone.
Ms. Krech talked about the role of the US commercial service in promoting trade and partnerships. She raised questions about elections in Guinea and was informed about progress in the democratization front, including the availability of a draft constitution.
Ms. Krech then pledged to work closely with Abdoul Diallo to encourage US firms to invest in the two countries.
Abdoul Diallo and team visited the Business Council for International Understanding (BCIU), a prestigious American institution that works to promote and facilitate investment, trade and mutual understanding between the US and other countries across the globe.
BCIU holds forums, trade missions, capacity building, networking, advocacy and hosts heads of states and governments for partnership building. The organization’s interest in promoting women’s empowerment and inclusion was also discussed, among others, at a meeting with its President, Peter Tichansky.
The Senior Advisor shared his work on women’s empowerment and inclusion during his tenure as Program Officer with Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) and also with Open Society Africa. He stressed the critical need for BCUI to invest in this area in Guinea and Sierra Leone.
He also told officials at the BCUI meeting that the proximity between Conakry and Freetown, connected by a paved road, makes it easy for business travel between the two countries.
Repeatedly, concerns about elections in Guinea and and the tripartite dialogue in Sierra Leone came up in the discussions. Ambassador Moller and Abdoul Diallo updated the officials about progress towards holding elections in Guinea, as well as the outcome of the tripartite dialogue between the Sierra Leone government and the opposition. .
The investment promotion mission coincided with President Julius Maada Bio’s visit to New York for the 78th session of the UN General Assembly, as Sierra Leone assumed the presidency of the UN Security Council as a non-permanent member for the month of August.
The Investment Consultant said he plans to engage the authorities and private sector players in both countries to discuss ways to attract US investors and build partnerships.
On the margins of the meetings in Washington, Ambassador Moller arranged a meeting for Abdoul Diallo with Ambassador Michael Owen, former US Ambassador to Sierra Leone. Ambassador Owen and his wife are good friends of Sierra Leone. They are funding the construction of a primary school at Pentagon in the west end of Freetown. The school will improve access to education for deprived children in the community.
At the meeting, they discussed the need to extend this project to other deprived communities in other parts of the country.
Abdoul Diallo said his academic and professional background puts him in strong position to pursue this investment promotion initiative.
He added that his experience in both countries also makes him well grounded.
Abdoul Diallo holds a Bachelor’s degree from the Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone, and certificates in Project Management from the University of Georgia, Natural Resource Management from the Institute of Security Studies, Addis Ababa and Export Assistance and Business Counseling from the US Department of Commerce.
In addition to his long tenure as Commercial Specialist at the US Embassy in Conakry during which he helped build strong partnerships between US and West African firms, and long career with Open Society, he has also lived and worked in Guinea for over twenty years and has strong network in Sierra Leone.
This is a promotional piece.
