Diagnosing Corruption in the Bauxite Sector in Guinea: Three Conditions for a More Transparent Future
Bauxite, a crucial strategic ore in aluminum production, plays a central role in the manufacturing of the technologies needed for the energy transition. According to the (IAI), global aluminum demand is expected to increase by nearly 40 percent by 2030. In 2022, Guinea positioned itself as the second-largest global bauxite producer, behind Australia, and the leading bauxite exporter worldwide, with an . However, the revenues generated by Guinea’s mining sector do not align with this potential.
Various stakeholders in Guinea, from civil society to policymakers, have consistently highlighted the paradox of the mining sector—rich in underground resources but economically poor. There is dissatisfaction with the revenues generated by Guinea's extractive sector. In 2020, the mining sector's contribution to the national budget was estimated at just over , a figure deemed "insulting" by Guinea's current of the military junta.The governance of Guinea's mining sector faces numerous challenges, with corruption permeating the entire mining value chain. The complexity and opacity surrounding the sector make combating corruption and improving transparency particularly challenging. To address this, the Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI) has developed a research and action tool. This tool is designed to help civil society groups, government agencies, international organizations, private businesses, and investors identify the most concerning forms of corruption, diagnose their causes, and develop an action plan to prevent these practices in the future. Originally implemented in Mongolia in 2021, the tool has since been deployed in several countries, including Colombia, the Philippines, and Guinea, where its implementation supports and strengthens the capacities of Guinean civil society organizations (CSOs).
The findings of this , led by Guinean CSOs, not only highlight concerning corruption risks, but also proposes an to address these issues. This diagnostic represents a significant step forward in addressing corruption risks in Guinea's bauxite sector; however, effective implementation will be crucial. Given this, achieving positive long-term changes will require continuous effort. From our perspective, three conditions are needed to ensure the viability of the process in Guinea.