Sierra Leone has secured $1 million in development assistance from Indonesia to assess plans for a ferry connection between Freetown and Tagrin, an initiative that could provide an alternative transport link to the Lungi area.
The funding will pay for feasibility studies and detailed engineering designs, laying the technical groundwork for a project intended to improve passenger movement and the transportation of goods between the capital and communities across the estuary.
Finance Minister Karefa Kargbo secured the grant on behalf of the Sierra Leone government through Indonesia’s development assistance programme, Indonesian Aid.
The breakthrough followed diplomatic discussions in Dakar on October 31, 2026, where Sierra Leone’s Ambassador to Senegal, Ibrahim Turay, brought Kargbo together with his Indonesian counterpart, Ardian Wicaksono.
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the Second Edition of the Sport and Development Summit and focused on the financial and administrative arrangements needed to advance the initiative.
Under the proposed arrangement, the grant agreement will be concluded between the two governments, with Indonesia acting through Indonesian Aid and Sierra Leone represented by its Ministry of Finance.
Preparatory work is expected to begin in early 2027, once the necessary formalities have been completed.
The proposed connection could offer commuters and businesses another means of travelling between Freetown and the Tagrin-Lungi corridor, an area strategically important because of its proximity to Sierra Leone’s main international airport.
Beyond passenger transport, the service could create opportunities for trade, tourism and commercial activities by improving access between communities on both sides of the estuary.
However, the grant does not finance the construction of ferry terminals, the acquisition of vessels or the operation of the proposed service. Those requirements will depend on the findings of the feasibility assessment and the mobilisation of additional investment.
The initiative also reflects the role of diplomatic engagement in securing external financing for Sierra Leone’s infrastructure priorities, with the country’s embassy in Senegal playing a central role in facilitating the discussions.
Whether the proposed ferry connection becomes operational will ultimately depend on the technical findings, the availability of construction financing and the government’s ability to move from planning to implementation.
