Freetown Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr has held discussions with the World Bank Group’s new Country Manager for Sierra Leone, Aissatou Diallo, on the capital’s development priorities, including climate action, urban planning, sanitation and revenue mobilisation.
Aki-Sawyerr disclosed the meeting in a post on X on Thursday, describing the engagement as productive and highlighting the need to address implementation challenges while sustaining investment in the city.
According to the mayor, discussions focused on progress in Freetown’s development agenda, with particular attention to climate action, urban planning, sanitation services and strengthening the city’s revenue base.
She also emphasised the importance of stronger decentralisation, noting that sustained investment and effective implementation would be essential to delivering development outcomes for residents.
“I look forward to strengthening our partnership to deliver for Freetonians,” Aki-Sawyerr said.
Diallo was appointed World Bank Group Country Manager for Sierra Leone on September 1, 2026. She brings nearly three decades of development finance experience, including more than two decades with the World Bank Group.
In her new role, she oversees the Bank’s strategic engagement with the government and other stakeholders, as well as the implementation of its development programme in Sierra Leone.
The World Bank has maintained a significant development portfolio in Sierra Leone, supporting programmes across infrastructure, agriculture, energy, water and sanitation, human capital development and private-sector growth.
The meeting comes as Freetown continues to face longstanding urban challenges, including rapid population growth, waste management pressures, inadequate infrastructure and climate-related vulnerabilities.
The discussions underline the importance of collaboration between local authorities and development partners in mobilising resources and translating development commitments into improved public services and living conditions.
Neither Aki-Sawyerr nor the World Bank has disclosed specific new funding commitments or project agreements arising from the meeting.
