Metals iO, a diverse and inclusive global mining company headquartered in New York City, focused on exploration and development projects in Sierra Leone, has announced plans to raise further funds to explore compelling gold and critical metals projects in the West African country. The company is currently in discussions with several potential investors.
Metals iO was extremely proud to be invited to the Biden-Harris Administration’s US-Africa Leaders Summit in Washington, DC on December 13-15. More specifically, its wholly-owned gold company, Tresor Gold, was featured in the Prosper Africa Deal Room, which President Biden highlighted at the event’s highly coveted Business Forum.
The Summit convened African heads of state and senior officials, top business executives, scholars, and thought leaders in high-level meetings with President Biden and his senior administration to underscore Africa’s importance as a geopolitical player. The U.S. President affirmed his unwavering alliance and support for an economically stronger, more robust Africa by supporting policies that foster sustainable human capital development through bolstering African trade and investment. In his keynote speech, President Biden stated, “when Africa succeeds… the whole world succeeds.”
Tony Lawson, Chief Executive Officer, Metals iO said, “We are honoured to be part of Prosper Africa’s Deal Room, as well as part of the renewed conversations underpinning Africa’s importance to the global economy. Exogenous factors such as Covid-19 and the Russian-Ukrainian War have exposed the fragility and interdependency of our supply chains. Strategic investments in Africa are a win-win – if the U.S., its partners, and the private sector invest in and develop Africa to diversify supply chains and establish resource independence, then Africa benefits from job creation, technical skill transfer, and continued GDP growth. Operating in Africa for almost eight years, our company is uniquely positioned to support supply chain initiatives for metals that are essential to technology, manufacturing, and electrifying our grids.”
Currently, Metals iO is raising capital to scale its Sierra Leone-based gold projects to production over an 18-month period and to acquire strategic West African critical metal projects. The company says Sierra Leone’s mining sector is largely underexplored and underdeveloped, while it boasts a stable mining friendly government, transparent mining policies, clean hydro power infrastructure, and asphalt roads that provide access to all mining regions.
Metals iO focuses its acquisition, exploration, and development efforts on commercial grade gold and critical metal projects in West Africa. The company utilizes geotechnical data and predictive analytics to identify areas of favourable mineralization, and then leverages their local knowledge and expertise to conduct due diligence through research of artisanal activity and soil sampling to structure effective drill programs. Metals iO has a very strong focus on positive sustainable impact and stewardship, with business practices shaped by the World Gold Council’s Responsible Mining Principles and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. As an accredited U.S. Federal Government contractor, Metals iO presents a strategic solution for U.S. public and private sector interests across continental Africa.
Tony Lawson continued: “Our highly experienced management team has operated in Sierra Leone for almost eight years, and we have achieved considerable success by acquiring compelling projects with Archean sulphide geology comparable to the mineral rich regions in Australia and Canada. During the Precambrian period, the same volcanic activity that created the greenstone belts of the Canadian Shield, which hosts many of Canada’s significant gold and electric vehicle metals like nickel, cobalt, and manganese, formed the West African Archean Craton that covers up to 70% of Sierra Leone. What’s remarkable is that the country is largely underexplored and underdeveloped when it comes to mining, and we are excited about its unique mining opportunities.”