One of the blessings of any successful leader is to get around you the right people with better mindset, spirit and superb educational qualification, and President Bio made no mistake when he appointed Julius Mattai as the Minister of Mines and Mineral Resources.

While Sierra Leone and its people have not been adequately benefiting from the mining sector as a result of bad deals, Julius Mattai has set the pace for future generations to benefit from the mines simply because, despite all the media bashing that had nearly hoodwinked the government into succumbing to a deal with ATRISE that would have been the worst regret and embarrassment the country would have faced, he was able to prove that he is a man worth his salt by choosing the right company, Leone Rock Metal Group.
Mattai’s profile is not only envy, but an asset to the country, especially when he exhibited strong leadership amidst serious controversies, but maintains the interest of the country.
Julius Mattai is a highly educated and he is multi-skilled professional with about 31 years working experience in both the private and public sectors in various leadership, management and technical roles in the Ukraine, United Kingdom (UK), Sierra Leone and Liberia.
He holds two MSc degrees (both with distinctions) in Geology & Exploration for Mineral Deposits (1992, Ukraine) and Environmental & Earth Resources Management (2001, United Kingdom).
With a profound working knowledge, experience and expertise in Geology and Mineral Exploration; Mining; Environmental and Natural Resources Management; Geographic Information Systems (GIS), among several others, Julius Mattai undertook all due diligence to ensure that the right thing is done to the country.
He didn’t act like any armchair minister who would sit in his office and decides the future of the country, but he conducted feasibilities on the two companies just to arrive at an informed decision in the interest of all and sundry.
Mattai has a wealth of experience in the minerals sector, having previously served the National Minerals Agency as a Geodata and Information Manager (2013-2014) & lately as Director-General (2019-2023) and provided consultancy services to mining companies and other organizations.
He is well versed in mining and related disciplines, including Geology and Mineral Exploration; Mining; Environmental and Natural Resources Management; Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Remote Sensing; Management Information Systems (MIS); Research, Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E); Climate Change (Mitigation and Adaptation); Disaster Risk Reduction and Management; and Health Information Systems (HIS).
He has worked beyond borders in neigbouring countries in West Africa and in other parts across the globe.
In 2014/2015, Mattai served as Head of Information Management and MIS/GIS Specialist with the United Nations Mission for Ebola Emergency Response (UNMEER) and United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) in Liberia, respectively, where he took responsibility for the implementation of strategic plan for emergency and recovery operations and information management.
From 2008 to 2011, he worked as a Principal Consultant at AEA Technology plc (UK), where he led and managed various multi-disciplinary GIS and environmental management programmes and projects, including the European Union (EU) Infrastructure for Spatial Information in Europe (INSPIRE), Shared Environmental Information Systems (SEIS), Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) and the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS), for the EU Commission (Belgium), European Environment Agency (Denmark), EU Joint Research Centre (Italy) and various Central, Regional and Local Governments in the UK.
From 2002 to 2008, he worked as the Environmental Data Manager for the London Mayor at the Greater London Authority (London, UK), where he managed and provided leadership over departmental and enterprise GIS and environmental data and information management systems for the development, implementation and monitoring of the London Mayor’s Air Quality, Noise, Energy, Waste, Transport and Spatial Development Strategies, including the London Congestion Charge and the London Low Emission Zone Schemes.
Mr. Mattai also worked (1992-2002) as a GIS Data & Information Coordinator and Strategy Officer with the London Boroughs of Camden (UK) and Ealing (UK), respectively. Prior to his career in the UK, Julius worked as a Geologist at the Ingulets Iron Ore Mining & Enrichment Works, Krivoy Rog, Ukraine. Mr. Mattai is very proficient in spoken and written Russian.
With all of the above, Julius Mattai has proven to be the right man in the right place that would ensure the country benefit a lot from the mineral sector.