Abdoulaye Magassouba (CDE ’11, Guinea): Getting Results amid Conflicting Expectations
1/11/2025 at 10:00am ET
CDE Rm 211
As part of the CDE/Per Jacobsson Foundation Speaker Series, Mr. Abdoulaye Magassouba, former Minister of Mines and Geology of the Republic of Guinea, visited Williams College in January 2025. On January 11, he delivered a public lecture titled “Getting Results Amid Conflicting Expectations”, sharing insights from his experiences navigating governance challenges in the Presidency and the Ministry of Mines and Geology. On January 12, Mr. Magassouba participated in an interview with Professor Bernard Sheahan, discussing governance, transparency, and resource management in developing countries.
With a distinguished career spanning both government and the private sector, Mr. Magassouba has played a pivotal role in shaping Guinea’s mining policies, increasing investment, and advancing corporate social responsibility initiatives.
As part of his visit to the CDE, Mr. Magassouba also led an insightful session in ECON51: Infrastructure (Prof. Bernard Sheahan), where he discussed Guinea’s economy, with a focus on natural resources and infrastructure. He highlighted Guinea’s leadership in bauxite production and its significant hydropower potential, noting that mining accounts for 90% of exports and a $20 billion GDP. A key topic was shared-use infrastructure, particularly railways serving both mining and passenger transport, which can improve efficiency but come with challenges like cost and governance. Using Guinea’s $20 billion iron ore project as a case study, Mr. Magassouba emphasized the need for a balance between public and private capital in financing infrastructure. He also co-wrote the case study, enriching the educational materials provided to both undergrad and grad students.
The Per Jacobsson Foundation supports the Speaker Series, bringing notable CDE Alumni to the Williams community.
