A high-level delegation of the World Bank Group’s Executive Directors has concluded a three-day working visit to Sierra Leone, capped by field inspections of major development projects including the Manowa Bridge and the Jojoima Hospital in Kailahun District.The delegation comprised seven Executive Directors and three Alternate Directors representing the Board of the World Bank, collectively speaking for 67 countries and accounting for 39% of the institution’s voting power. The visit is described as one of the largest by Executive Directors to Sierra Leone in recent years.
During a courtesy call with the Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, the spokesperson for the delegation and Executive Director representing Angola, Nigeria, and South Africa, said the mission was aimed at gaining a deeper understanding of the impact of World Bank interventions in Sierra Leone, particularly in key sectors such as agriculture, energy, and infrastructure.
The team also sought to assess development opportunities and ongoing challenges within the country’s reform and growth agenda.
On the government’s side, the Minister of Finance, Sheku Ahmed Fantamadi Bangura, expressed appreciation to the visiting Executive Directors for their continued financial and advisory support to Sierra Leone’s development efforts.
He outlined key priorities under the National Development Plan, including human capital development through the Free Quality Education programme, the Feed Salone initiative for food security, and major investments in energy, infrastructure, health, and tourism.
Minister Bangura further noted that World Bank support has helped expand Sierra Leone’s development portfolio to approximately one billion dollars, while also attracting additional development partners across critical sectors such as agriculture, mining, energy, and healthcare.
He acknowledged that since 2018, the country has faced four major external shocks that have affected macroeconomic stability, including inflationary pressures, exchange rate volatility, and rising debt levels.
He, however, reaffirmed government’s commitment to sustained economic reforms aimed at strengthening resilience amid global uncertainties.
The engagement also included sectoral discussions with ministers overseeing World Bank-supported programmes in agriculture, energy, education, ICT, water resources, health, planning, and economic development, alongside representatives of the Bank of Sierra Leone and the National Commission for Social Action (NaCSA).
The sessions reviewed progress, implementation challenges, and future investment opportunities.
Field visits by the delegation on April 25 and 26, 2026, covered several flagship projects, including the $30 million Onion Farm Project supported by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the World Bank in Mathen Lokomasama Chiefdom, Port Loko District near Lungi.
Other sites included the over $52 million RESPITE energy project in Newton, Waterloo; the $30 million Manowa Bridge construction project under the Smallholder Commercialisation and Agribusiness Development Project (SCADeP); and the $257 million Jojoima Health Centre investment in Kailahun District.
The delegation expressed satisfaction with the level of implementation across the visited projects, commending the government for progress achieved in aligning World Bank-funded interventions with its development priorities, including universal healthcare, energy expansion under Mission 300, agricultural transformation through Agric Connect, and improvements in water and sanitation systems.
The visit is expected to further strengthen cooperation between Sierra Leone and the World Bank Group as both parties continue to advance long-term development and economic stability goals.