By Dadson A. Musa

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has donated 500 metric tons of food grains to Sierra Leone under its Regional Food Security Reserve initiative, reinforcing regional solidarity and support for vulnerable populations.

The donation aligns with the government’s flagship Feed Salone initiative, which aims to combat hunger and improve food resilience across the country. During the handover ceremony, Dr. Theresa Tenneh Dick, Deputy Minister 1 of Agriculture and Food Security, emphasized that ECOWAS’ biannual vulnerability assessments had identified Sierra Leone as a country in urgent need of food assistance.

This support comes at a critical time, said Dr. Dick. It will help us respond to food insecurity while laying a stronger foundation for long-term food system resilience.”

The initiative is further supported by the World Bank-funded Food System Resilience Program (FSRP), which is working to strengthen Sierra Leone’s national food reserves and response capacity to future shocks.

As ECOWAS marks its 50th anniversary, and with Sierra Leone currently holding the ECOWAS chairmanship, the donation is also seen as a symbol of unity. Ambassador John Azumah, representing the ECOWAS Commissioner, praised Sierra Leone’s commitment to regional integration and highlighted positive progress in food security citing a drop in food-insecure individuals from 1.6 million in 2018 to 1.2 million in 2025.

This donation, part of a broader 5,370-ton distribution across six ECOWAS member states, reflects our shared vision of equity, efficiency, and resilience, Ambassador Azumah said, it is a concrete step toward realizing ECOWAS Vision 2050: peace and prosperity for all.

Dr. Kepifri Lakoh, Program Manager of the FSRP, echoed these sentiments. He noted that the donation aligns with FSRP’s goals to build early warning systems, develop sustainable reserves, and strengthen resilient agricultural value chains.

This is more than just a donation it is a call to deepen collaboration, enhance market linkages, and scale up local production, Dr. Lakoh said. Emergency reserves should be safety nets, not primary solutions.

He further revealed that FSRP has signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with UNOPS and the Sierra Leone Produce Marketing Company (SLPMC) to construct food storage silos and implement rice mop-up programs in Kambia and Pujehun districts. These silos will serve as national food grain reserves, bolstering the country’s ability to respond to future crises.

The ECOWAS donation is a timely boost to Sierra Leone’s food security efforts, underlining the importance of regional cooperation in tackling hunger and building resilient food systems for the future.

 Copyright –Published in Expo Times News on Monday,21th July, 2025 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)