Guinea crosses a key institutional threshold in steering its transformation agenda with the creation of a dedicated Delivery Unit for the Simandou 2040 Program. Directly attached to the Presidency of the Republic, this unit for execution and performance management signifies a change in method: less announcements, more measurable results.
Conceived as a fifteen-year economic vision, Simandou 2040 goes beyond the strict framework of the mega mining project. It aims to convert iron ore revenue into a lever for structural transformation, through an integrated industrial corridor, heavy infrastructure (rail, roads, energy), specialized economic zones, and an upgrade of human and digital capital. The goal is clear: to make natural resources a productive and sustainable asset, rather than just a budget line item.
The Delivery Unit positions itself as the central tool for this ambition. Its mission: to orchestrate execution, remove administrative bottlenecks, synchronize ministries and agencies, track milestones, and make quick decisions. In essence, to reduce the chronic gap – common in the sub-region – between stated strategy and effective implementation. The direct attachment to the highest level of the State aims to bypass decision-making delays and instill a culture of performance and accountability.
Beyond operational monitoring, the unit plays a strategic role in the budgetary and financial alignment of the program. It must ensure coherence between priorities, allocations, and results, while supporting long-term financing mechanisms, particularly through the Guinean sovereign fund designed to capture and smooth the revenues from the Simandou project. The challenge is twofold: to strengthen the credibility of the macroeconomic trajectory and reassure investors and international partners.
As the exploitation of Simandou enters its concrete phase, the creation of this Delivery Unit appears as a real-life test of the Guinean State’s ability to govern through results. If the tool delivers on its promises – execution discipline, transparency, quick decision-making – Simandou 2040 could become more than just a mining project: a case study of managed economic transformation, closely observed in West Africa.
