In Part 2 of this two-part interview with Ian Mwiinga, the face of the Zambia Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (ZEITI), we find out how he came to join the ZEITI, what his secondment to the EITI’s international secretariat in Oslo set in motion, and why Zambia’s recent validation score represents more work that lies ahead.
***
How did you come to join the Zambia Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (ZEITI)?
I stumbled into the mining sector by complete chance. In 2013, ZEITI was advertising for a communications professional, under the banner of the Ministry of Mines. I applied for the role, thinking I could combine my journalism and communications background with my development experience.
What was interesting about the role was that it wasn’t your typical “comms job.” I was doing data communications, which required me to engage with mining sector data at a very high level. For the first time, I was exposed to the revenue flows and tax structure of the mining sector – something I’d never paid attention to before.
The most exciting part, however, was undertaking community engagements. Can you imagine how tough it is to explain technical terms such as “materiality threshold” [a financial limit used in accounting and auditing] in a local language? It was such a steep learning curve, particularly in communities where mining takes place and there may be sensitive issues to navigate. But I enjoyed every bit of it immensely.
Do you have any mentors?
I’ve certainly had great people who have carried me on their shoulders, from whom I’ve learned a lot. There’s Hugh Carruthers from FQM, Sean Gilbertson – former CEO of Gemfields, majority owner of Kagem Mine in Zambia – and also Martin Lokanc from the World Bank who I greatly look up to for professional inspiration.
There’s also Stephen Douglas, who is my mentor. He used to be an advisor to the Vice President of TotalEnergies Global. When we were serving together during my previous EITI board stint, I walked up to him and asked: “Can you be my mentor?”
“What am I supposed to teach you, Ian?” he asked. But he took me under his wing and since then, whenever I go into a meeting about technical issues, I’ll ask Stephen for his views – and then I’ll go into the meeting sounding very intelligent!
Tell us about the work you did for the EITI International Secretariat in Oslo.
I had a six-month secondment from Zambia to the international secretariat in 2017/2018.
The EITI is implemented globally in over 55 countries and, for the first time, I got a firsthand feel for how the board and the management of the sector is handled at the international level. I was thrust into a diverse, highly technical environment where I could learn almost instantaneously from other jurisdictions.
It’s very tempting to get stuck in what you’re doing in-country without being aware of global technological movements. For me, it really tied it all together, connecting the dots. I also had the privilege of accompanying a colleague to the Seychelles for a validation mission. Sitting on the other side – and being part of the team validating a country, rather than being on the receiving end – was amazing for me.
I went there as a communications professional, but when I got back, I became National Coordinator. The learnings were immense, and the preparation was very useful for thrusting me into a much higher position of responsibility.
You’ve been working with the EITI for thirteen years. What keeps you engaged in this work?
Coming into the mining sector with an open mind – and without a typical mining degree – gave me an opportunity to absorb it all, to the point where I can now understand mining language and mining processes. I’m not a mining engineer, but I can have a decent conversation with one. Everything about Zambia is mining now, so being literate in this space is priceless.
Working in this space has given me the opportunity to serve on the Public Private Dialogue Forum on behalf of the EITI in Zambia, where I interface with industry, Government, and civil society. We also have a reciprocal relationship with the Association of Zambian Mineral Exploration Companies (AZMEC); I serve on their board, and they serve on ours.
“Everything about Zambia is mining now, so being literate in this space is priceless.”
Zambia recently scored 81 points out of 100 in the 2026 EITI Validation – a “very good” rating that reflects more than a decade of progress during your tenure at the Zambia EITI. What’s your reaction to this result?
I’ve seen the evolution of the EITI standard from 2013 to now, and the [currently implemented] 2023 standard is very onerous. Addressing all aspects of the mining value chain is not a small feat; it’s a heavy lift. The standard requires us to not only publish tax payments to the government, but also to acquire information about things like carbon emissions, mining costs, and the governance of state-owned enterprises such as ZCCM-IH and the Industrial Development Corporation. This data is vital for understanding mining companies’ economics. That’s why Zambia has also started publishing information on electricity supply to the mining sector: to help the public understand the relationship between mining and the energy sector, and how this fits in with the policy target of achieving three million tonnes of copper production by 2031. Our work on the publication of electricity data is being done in collaboration with Energy for Growth – based in Accra, Ghana.
Zambia’s result is very good, but this is not a finality – it’s probably the beginning of more hard work to come. There are still key reforms needed that align with the Government’s policy direction. For example, how do we situate the EITI process to support the critical minerals space? How do we ensure that investment coming into the country meets the standards of transparency the EITI requires?
How do we ensure that communities where mining is taking place are included, and have adequate grievance mechanisms? The EITI’s validation provides a good learning point for citizens, Government, industry, and the investment community. It acts as a barometer for the state of play in the sector.
“How do we ensure that communities where mining is taking place are included, and have adequate grievance mechanisms? The EITI’s validation… acts as a barometer for the state of play in the sector.”
What does the ZEITI’s progress mean for the mining sector going forward?
I’m pleased to share that Zambia has seen quite a lot of interest from investment firms who are using EITI data as one of the pillars in their risk analysis. And the G-Factor, as we discussed in our previous interview, translates the EITI reports into very easy-to-use, relatable information. One Mauritius-based investment firm that’s considering investing in Zambia’s mining sector has been using the G-Factor in their risk analysis, and we’re hoping other countries will follow suit.
ZEITI is also expanding our disclosure portfolio. We’re already disclosing information on electricity – because, of course, without energy there is no mining. And we’ll be adding a third link to the data suite: the disclosure of water use intensity in mining. We’re also actively working with our colleagues in the DRC and Angola to ensure that the Lobito Corridor is properly understood and that the benefits accrue to the countries appropriately.
This validation result was achieved on your watch, which must make you proud. Which of the other positive impacts that you’ve had on Zambia’s mining sector are you most proud of?
The impact I should be proudest of is the fact that the EITI process is still alive. This is not an easy space to operate in – you have diverse stakeholders with very strong interests. For us to still be powering on after more than ten years implementing the EITI is actually a marvel. The growth, the interest in the process, the quality of stakeholder representatives around the table, the support we are receiving from various stakeholders in the mining sector at various levels of the value chain – whether be it through data disclosure or actually providing implementation support such as the World Bank – that’s where the impact lies, for me. Having the process go from strength to strength is actually very commendable.
What advice do you have for Zambians who want to work in governance or policy?
The mining sector is really an oyster. For a very long time, mining in Zambia has been viewed as an enclave: a closed loop with very little participation from locals. But all disciplines are present in this sector. It just takes drive and the courage to ask for help – to say, “I don’t understand this, can you help me understand it better?”
That is, in fact, the cornerstone of the EITI: dialogue, and that dialogue builds trust. I’ve seen civil society representatives come into the EITI process with very little knowledge of mining and, after going through it, they become experts and go out into their communities disseminating correct information. For me, that is the principle.
***
If you missed Part One of this two-part interview, here’s where we speak to Mr Mwiinga about his early years, what shaped him, and how a shy boy ended up at the forefront of Zambia’s minerals transparency agenda.
See also: Ian Mwiinga: How a boy from Monze made it to the top
