State House, Freetown, Wednesday 9 September 2026 – President Dr Julius Maada Bio has today reaffirmed the commitment of the Government of Sierra Leone to strengthen its strategic partnership with the World Bank Group after a courtesy call by the Bank’s Regional Vice President for Western and Central Africa, Mr Ousmane Diagana and his delegation.
Finance Minister Karefa Kargbo attended the meeting, introduced the World Bank team, and thanked the institution for its continued support to Sierra Leone. Minister Kargbo said the long-standing relationship has already brought tangible gains, citing progress made through the Country Partnership Framework (CPF).
He pointed out that the CPF’s priorities of expanding access to energy, developing human capital, and upgrading critical infrastructure remain at the heart of Sierra Leone’s wider development agenda.
Speaking on behalf of the World Bank Group, Mr Diagana reiterated the institution’s continued commitment to Sierra Leone as a key partner. He applauded President Bio for his leadership, including his time as former Chairman of the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government, and noted the President’s dedication to regional projects such as Mission 300. Mr Diagana said the World Bank remained ready to support priority projects aligned with Sierra Leone’s national priorities.
President Bio, in his response, said the partnership with the World Bank Group was reliable and impactful. He pointed to World Bank-supported interventions that have brought concrete improvements to communities across the country. The President pointed to bridges recently constructed through the partnership, saying better connectivity has strengthened linkages between communities, improved access to markets and services, and facilitated economic and social activities.
President Bio also reaffirmed his government’s commitment to working more closely with the World Bank to encourage strategic investments that will bring real, sustainable benefits to the people of Sierra Leone. “We are focused on translating financing and technical assistance into sustainable outcomes that increase opportunity and resilience across the country,” he said.
Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to boost development cooperation at the meeting’s conclusion. They committed to transformational investments to create opportunities, improve infrastructure and human capital and support Sierra Leone’s sustainable national development goals. The World Bank delegation reaffirmed its readiness to work closely with the government as the projects move from planning to implementation.
