OKYO.L Regulatory News (OKYO)

For immediate release

6 July 2017

West African Minerals Corporation

("West African" or the "Company")

Board Appointment

The Board of West African Minerals Corporation is pleased to announce that Dr Kunwar Shailubhai has been appointed as non-executive director of the Company with immediate effect.

Dr Kunwar Shailubhai is Chief Executive Officer of AIM-traded Tizania Life Sciences Plc and has extensive experience within the life sciences sector, drawing on 30 years of experience in research and development of drug candidates for treatment of gastrointestinal disorders, inflammatory diseases and cancers. He previously worked for a number of years at Synergy Pharmaceuticals Inc (SGYP: NASDAQ), which he co-founded and where he served as chief scientific officer since 2008.

Dr Kunwar Shailubhai's pioneering research programme culminated in the development of the drug Trulance™ (plecanatide) which received FDA approval in January 2017 for the treatment of adults with chronic idiopathic constipation. A supplemental new drug application has been submitted for FDA review of Trulance for the treatment of adults with irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C). Prior to joining Tiziana Life Sciences Plc and Synergy Pharmaceuticals Inc, Dr Kunwar Shailubhai worked at Callisto Pharmaceuticals, Monsanto Company and as a senior staff fellow at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

AIM Disclosures

Further disclosures on Dr Kunwar Shailubhai as required under Schedule Two, paragraph (g) (i)-(viii) of the AIM Rules for Companies are as follows:

Dr Kunwar "Shailu" Shailubhai, aged 59, has held the following directorships and / or partnerships in the previous five years:

There are no further disclosures in relation to Dr Kunwar Shailubhai pursuant to Schedule 2(g) of the AIM Rules for Companies.

This announcement contains inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of EU Regulation 596/2014.

For further information contact:

ENDS