By Amara Thoronka
Vice President of Sierra Leone, Alhaji Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh has prevailed on the African Development Bank (AfDB) to support the agriculture and manufacturing sectors in the country in realizing food sufficiency and sustained development.
The call for more partnership and development by the Honourable Vice President came during a fruitful engagement with the executive directors of the African Development Bank on Tuesday, 19th March, 2024.
“I met with the Executive directors of the African Development Bank during their Consultative trip to Sierra Leone. We discussed the vision and policy actions of the government, particularly our interventions in the social sector and efforts to unleash the potentials of the productive sector. While I highlighted the dividends such as increased enrolment and retention rate of girls in school and reduced maternal and infant mortality, I equally emphasized the importance of supporting private sector participation in agriculture and manufacturing which will not only boost domestic food production but also create jobs for young people.
I encouraged the team to not lose sight of the prevailing governance and stability landscape within the region, as our combined efforts are needed to meet the SDGs 2030,” VP Jalloh wrote on Facebook.
He expressed profound thanks to Finance Minister Sheku Ahmed Fantamadi Bangura and team for such ‘an engaging meeting’.
According to a report from the Ministry of Finance, a delegation of seven Executive Directors from the African Development Bank Group is in Sierra Leone on a five-day consultation mission to deepen the partnership between the Bank and the West African nation.
In a courtesy meeting with the Ministers and senior officials of the Ministry of Finance on Monday, 18th March 2024, The Head of the Delegation, Mette Knudsen, who is an Executive Director from Demark, stated that this visit is part of the Bank’s annual work programme and that their presence here in Freetown underscores the commitment of the Bank to maintaining robust engagement with its regional members, including Sierra Leone.
She committed the Bank’s continued support and cooperation with the government of Sierra Leone’s sustainable development agenda by providing the needed support to achieve its developmental strides in energy, education, transportation, etc.
Mette Knudsen further explained that the mission would focus on enhancing access to quality infrastructure and rural electrification, strengthening the agriculture sector, promoting inclusive growth and job creation through the private sector and supporting youth and women in entrepreneurial endeavors.
Madam Mette Knudsen mentioned the three-town Water Supply and Sanitation Project that would benefit 550,000 people in Bo, Kenema, and Makeni to gain access to potable water and provide 46,851 students with access to modern toilets, the rehabilitation and upgrading of major roads in Sierra Leone as part of the multinational Mano River Union Road Development and Transport Facilitation Program, as some of the major project funded by the bank.
The Minister of Finance, Sheku Fantamadi Bangura, welcomed the delegation on behalf of the government and the people of Sierra Leone and appreciated the support the bank is providing to the country.
He noted that the board makes decisions when allocating resources to different countries and recognizes the bank’s resource mobilisation efforts. Mr Bangura also said that Sierra Leone is committed to collaborating with AfDB to foster regional economic growth, development and cooperation across Africa.
He mentioned that Sierra Leone has put together a program with the Country Office in Sierra Leone that needs collaborative support from the bank to make it fruitful.
The Executive Director for Sierra Leone, Rufus N Darkortey, thanked the government of Sierra Leone for hosting the delegation.
He explained that the visit would further foster and appreciate the good work the bank has been doing in Sierra Leone and further the good relationship between the bank and the Country.
The delegation comprises Jonathan Nzayikorera from Rwanda, Rufus N. Darkortey from Liberia, Takaaki Nomoto from Japan, Dr Martin Kipping from Germany, Dr Nomfundo Ngwenya from South Africa and Dr Samson Oyebode Oyetunde from Nigeria.
The Ministry of Finance noted that, during the stay of the AfDB delegation in Sierra Leone, the Executive Directors will engage several stakeholders from different ministries, departments, and agencies within the government, the private sector, development partners, and civil society organisations.
Copy right –Printed in the Expo Times News on Friday, March 22nd, 2024 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)
