Julius D. Mattai is the visionary founder and mastermind behind Sierra Leone’s premier GIS and Environmental Management firm, INTEGEMS. What makes Mattai unique is that he forged expertise in geology, mining, environmental resource management and technology to create a niche agency like no other. INTEGEMS’ multidisciplinary approach offers clients a one-stop-shop.

Under Mattai’s leadership INTEGEMS achieved numerous successes but his proudest––being the sole local agency directly involved in the research into the causes of the 2017 landslide that killed over 1000 people. 

Sierra Leone will continue to face extreme man made and environmental disasters as climate change continues to wreak havoc. Mattai and his team are at the helm to shape and prepare the country’s evolving landscape. 

A Learner At Heart 

Born in Bo on July 21st, 1966, Mattai is the son of a headmaster (his father, George Daniel Mattia was the headmaster at Bo District Education Centre, New Gerihun Road, Bo Town). From a very young age, Mattai showed exceptional talent as an artist. He could paint, sculpt, draw and even carve. Although he didn’t go on to pursue a career in the arts, his creativity would serve him later when he ventured into business.

After graduating from Bo Government Secondary School in 1985, Mattai won a scholarship to study in the former Soviet Union (now the Russian Federation). 

During his time in the Soviet Union, Mattai was exposed to programming languages like FORTRAN and BASIC for cartographic and geological mapping. By 1992 he had completed a Masters Degree in Geology and Exploration of Mineral Deposits. The world was changing, personal computers were on the rise opening a world of possibilities.

“I realized computers could be used for basic mapping using FORTRAN and BASIC on monochrome screens. Being an artist, I had always had an interest in cartography. I could work out something if I combined my geological skills with my mapping skills and used technology. It whetted my appetite,” he said. 

In 1993, Mattai relocated to the UK working in both the private and public sectors including the London Boroughs of Camden and Ealing. Always the leaner, he enrolled at Kingston University UK, and earned a second Masters in Environmental and Natural Resource Management. He remained in the public service working for the Greater London Authority under mayors, Boris Johnson and Ken Livinsgton. 

In 2008, he joined AEA Technology PLC as a consultant. Their clients included the UK government, the European Union, and the European Commission. While at AEA Technology plc, Mattai realized that his ideas and proposals were creating lucrative business opportunities for his employer. What if he took a chance on building his own?

Starting A Business In Sierra Leone

Mattai decided to start a consulting firm, but in the UK the competition was stiff. He hadn’t lived in Sierra Leone for over two decades, but he set his sights towards home.  

In 2011, Mattai, expecting challenges ahead, took a one year sabbatical from AEA Technology plc. 

“The sabbatical would provide me with a cushion. If things didn’t work out, I could go back to my job in the UK,” he said. Upon arrival in Freetown in July 2011, he partnered with CEMMATS. They gave him space in their office.  

Just three months into his one-year sabbatical, Mattai’s mind was made. He was going to take a chance and embrace entrepreneurship head-on. He resigned from AEA Technology plc and started his first year as the Managing Director of INTEGEMS. 

Growing INTEGEMS From Startup to Industry Leader 

Like most startups in Sierra Leone, finding skilled labor among the country’s youth was tough. Everyone wanted a salaried job, but Mattai struggled to find talent with the right work ethic and shared values.  

“Getting the young men and women to understand the standard that I had set was my biggest challenge. This made me doubt whether I would get staff who would listen to me or buy my vision. But once I could find them, I knew we could move ahead,” he said. 

At the onset, they competed with many international companies in Sierra Leone but over time, INTEGEMS’  expertise propelled them to the industry leader.

INTEGEMS offers services in environmental, health, and disaster management systems.  Recently, they’ve ventured into drone aerial mapping. Their multidisciplinary expertise has allowed them to serve at the highest national level. 

During the Ebola outbreak in 2014, INTEGEMS was instrumental in using its technology to help the UN Missions on Ebola Emergency Response get epidemiological data sets on affected people and areas in Sierra Leone. 

“That opened doors for us. I was headhunted to move to Liberia to work with the UN as the Head of Information Management for a year and during that time, INTEGEMS was also working with other UN agencies, including the World Bank, to ensure that the response to the Ebola crisis was well mapped using GIS and mobile devices,” he said. 

Having built a reputation as a trusted problem solver, the United Nations (UN) and World Bank knew that there was only one local firm they could rely on to provide technical expertise after the 2017 flooding and landslide. 

INTEGEMS conducted a multi-city hazard risk assessment mapping of the Western Area, Bo, and Makeni, prior to the disaster. Just three weeks after presenting its findings, the Western Area faced one of the most devastating disasters on record, over 1000 lives were lost and some six thousand people were displaced. 

Training the Next Generation of STEM Leaders in Sierra Leone

Beyond providing technical expertise to clients, INTEGEMS is committed to developing  Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) in Sierra Leone. Through partnerships with US entities, INTEGEMS established Flying Labs, a robotics center at their headquarters in Freetown. Flying Labs trains drone pilots, certifying them to participate in local and international competitions. 

“It makes me proud and shows that Sierra Leoneans, when given the right mentorship, coaching, and resources, can be one of the best in Africa, if not the world,” he said. 

Through seminars, workshops, and training programs across the country, INTEGEMS continues to teach and inspire Sierra Leoneans to strive for excellence. 

INTEGEMS staff in Freetown

When Mattai made up his mind to set up his company in Sierra Leone, he knew it was taking a big risk. Everyone said it was a bad idea.

“I remember my colleagues in the diaspora asking me how I was going to build a business in Sierra Leone without having worked there. I told them I was going to Sierra Leone for my MBA. They asked which university, and I told them that I wasn’t going to a university but I was going to build INTEGEMS for the real MBA experience.”

A man of his word, Mattai has built a company of high standards, over 100 young men and women have been trained at INTEGEMS. It’s bigger than profit. Mattai wants to compete globally with Sierra Leoneans experts like him and those he has trained at the helm. 

“In Sierra Leone, the future is the young population. They are capable of competing globally. I think if we provide them the right mentorship, coaching, and resources. I can see Sierra Leoneans excelling in technology,” he said. 

Beyond this, Mattai hopes that more people realize the potential in Sierra Leone. Despite its challenges, he sees it as a good place for investment and encourages entrepreneurs, both home and in the diaspora, to invest in Sierra Leone and its people. 

“Take the risk because the risk is a calculated chance. Start with an idea, create something of value that people want. Be it a product or service and make sure you have a purpose.”

From his early days in Bo to the founding of INTEGEMS, Julius Mattai has consistently broken new ground as a creative mind and an early adopter. His commitment to education, innovation and human development reflects his belief in Sierra Leone potential as a hub for technological advancement. 

Having demonstrated his visionary leadership and excellence, he was appointed the Director-General of the National Minerals Agency (NMA). In 2023, Mr. Mattai was appointed by His Excellency, President Bio, to serve as Sierra Leone’s Minister of Mines and Mineral Resources. He has passed the INTEGEMS torch over to a new generation of STEM leaders who are caring for his legacy while he serves his beloved country.

Julius D. Mattai, Founder of INTEGEMS