His Excellency President Dr. Julius Maada Bio presided over the signing of a €35 million financing agreement between the Government of Sierra Leone and the European Union (EU) at State House.
This agreement is aimed at enhancing the country’s agricultural value chains and supporting the government’s flagship initiative, the Feed Salone program. The signing ceremony was moderated by Minister of Finance, Sheku Ahmed Fantamadi Bangura, who emphasized the importance of this financing agreement as a substantial boost to the agricultural sector of Sierra Leone. He articulated that the funds would play a crucial role in strengthening the food value chain, increasing agricultural production, and ensuring food security throughout the nation. Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr Henry Musa Kpaka, expressed his enthusiasm regarding the signing, noting the EU’s longstanding partnership with Sierra Leone and its vital contributions to the nation’s agricultural development. He elaborated that the financing agreement would specifically target improvements in the value chains of cassava, oil palm, and infant food.
Dr. Kpaka further acknowledged the EU’s positive response to the Feed Salone initiative, which seeks to revolutionize agriculture and enhance food production capabilities across the country. Ambassador Jacek Jankowski, the Head of the EU Delegation to Sierra Leone, commended the Sierra Leonean government for its dedication to cooperation and sustainable development. He recalled that the EU had previously signed three financing agreements with Sierra Leone in the last year, describing this latest agreement as a milestone in agricultural value chain financing. Ambassador Jankowski detailed that the €35 million grant would focus on enhancing sustainability, efficiency, and inclusivity within the cassava, oil palm, and infant food value chain sectors. The program aims to incorporate climate-smart agricultural practices, improve processing efficiency, and create decent green job opportunities, particularly for women and youth engaged in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programs. He emphasized that this agreement is part of the EU’s Multiannual Indicative Programme (2021-2027), which highlights the EU’s commitment to improving food security, empowering local communities, and fostering inclusive economic growth through climate-smart practices and strengthened value chains. In his remarks, President Julius Maada Bio expressed profound gratitude to the European Union and its taxpayers for their unwavering support and commitment to the development of Sierra Leone. He reaffirmed that Sierra Leone maintains a strong and productive partnership with the EU, with numerous developmental interventions evident across the nation. President Bio underscored that the EU’s investments extend beyond mere infrastructure development to encompass community empowerment and livelihood improvement, which directly impacts the lives of Sierra Leoneans. He praised the EU for aligning its initiatives with the Feed Salone program, which he highlighted as a priority under his administration’s Big Five Game Changers. The President further emphasized that food security, enhanced infant nutrition, job creation—particularly for women and youth—and the promotion of climate-smart agriculture are fundamental pillars of his government’s vision for economic transformation. He reassured stakeholders that the grant would be utilized efficiently to yield tangible outcomes within Sierra Leone’s agricultural value chains. The event concluded with a renewed commitment from both parties to strengthen collaboration aimed at sustainable agricultural development, economic empowerment, and food security in Sierra Leone. This agreement marks a significant milestone in the country’s efforts to enhance its agricultural sector and improve the livelihoods of its citizens.
