His Excellency Paul Sobba Massaquoi to the Republic of Korea and Seok Hwa Hong, KOICA's Vice PresidentHis Excellency Paul Sobba Massaquoi, Sierra Leone’s Ambassador to the Republic of Korea, paid a courtesy call at the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), a significant step towards reinforcing Sierra Leone and South Korea’s long-standing development partnership. This high-level meeting aimed to foster deeper collaboration, review ongoing projects, and conduct a comprehensive needs assessment to ensure that KOICA’s assistance is effectively aligned with Sierra Leone’s national development priorities.
Seok Hwa Hong, KOICA’s Vice President, and other senior officials welcomed Ambassador Massaquoi warmly at the agency’s headquarters. During the meeting, the Ambassador conveyed heartfelt greetings from His Excellency President Dr. Julius Maada Bio and the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. He used the opportunity to thank KOICA for its unwavering support for Sierra Leone, particularly in critical areas such as health, education, and youth empowerment, which are critical to the country’s development.
In his speech, Ambassador Massaquoi emphasised the urgent need to address Sierra Leone’s escalating energy crisis, which he identified as a major impediment to the country’s socioeconomic transformation. “Energy is the backbone of development,” he said, emphasising the role it plays in powering critical services such as hospitals, schools, airports, ports, and digital infrastructure. The Ambassador highlighted President Bio’s “Five Big Game Changer Initiatives,” which aim to address various developmental challenges in Sierra Leone.
The discussion also focused on key initiatives aimed at empowering youth, such as “Green Jobs for Youth in Resilient Agrifood Systems” and “Ready Salone: Realising Empowerment and Action in Digital for Youth.”These programs are intended to increase youth participation in the burgeoning digital economy by equipping them with the skills needed to succeed in a modern workforce.
In response to the Ambassador’s proactive engagement, the KOICA Vice President praised him for his adaptability and effective representation of Sierra Leone’s interests in Korea. He stated that KOICA’s total investment in Sierra Leone has reached an impressive USD 10.6 million. This includes a USD 1.9 million allocation for 2024, which is expected to rise to USD 3.4 million in 2025, following the Ambassador’s direct appeal for urgent energy interventions.
KOICA also announced several upcoming projects worth approximately USD 8.7 million, including a multilateral cooperation project, a small grant initiative, and two capacity-building programs focused on youth digital empowerment. In addition, KOICA intends to donate a mobile clinic and ambulances worth more than USD 300,000 to public hospitals, as well as provide training opportunities for Sierra Leone’s diplomatic and senior public officials.
Looking ahead, KOICA outlined future areas of collaboration that will focus on improving education through basic education and digital skills training for out-of-school youth, strengthening agricultural technical capacity to improve food systems, and improving access to quality healthcare, as well as necessary medical supplies and vehicles.
The Director-General of KOICA’s Africa Division praised Ambassador Massaquoi’s proactive diplomacy and urged increased collaboration with Sierra Leone’s Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to speed up project implementation. The meeting concluded with a mutual commitment to deepen bilateral cooperation, followed by an exchange of pleasantries and commemorative photographs, symbolising Sierra Leone and South Korea’s growing ties.
