Luqman Ahmad is the founder of Basirat Advisory, a senior-led practice advising investors, mining companies and financiers on growth, risk and execution in jurisdictions where the state is a central actor. His current work combines political-economy and market intelligence on African mining jurisdictions with transaction support, covering approvals, government engagement and enhanced diligence, and reads each against the geopolitical competition now reshaping critical minerals supply chains.

That work rests on more than 25 years of advising governments on how minerals are governed. A materials and metallurgical engineer by training, Luqman began as resident adviser to the Ministry of Mineral Resources in Sierra Leone. There he led the post-conflict reform of the sector, drafted the Mines and Minerals Act and the Precious Minerals Trading Act, and established the National Minerals Agency.

At Adam Smith International he then built and led the firm's global extractives governance practice, advising governments on mining policy, fiscal regimes, licensing, transparency and institutional reform in countries including Liberia, Ghana, Pakistan, Mongolia, Papua New Guinea, Rwanda, Tanzania and Zimbabwe. He secured the firm's EITI validator accreditation and directed the UK-funded Extractives Hub.

For the World Bank he worked with the provincial governments of Pakistan on mineral licensing and fiscal modelling.

On critical minerals, Luqman has supported the European Union's Critical Minerals Value Chain Partnership Strategy for Africa, including the South Africa–EU partnership. He also delivered commissioned masterclasses on mining, geopolitics, licence to operate and critical minerals markets to EU Delegations in Africa and senior policy staff in Brussels.

He was formerly Managing Director of DAI Global UK and Chief Operating O[icer of Adam Smith International. He holds a BSc in Applied Science and Engineering from Queen's University, Kingston.