State House, Freetown, Friday, 31 January 2025 – His Excellency President Dr. Julius Maada Bio has presided over the signing ceremony of a €35 million financing agreement between the Government of Sierra Leone and the European Union (EU) at State House. The agreement aims to enhance the country’s agricultural value chain and support the government’s flagship Feed Salone programme.
Moderating the ceremony, Minister of Finance, Sheku Ahmed Fantamadi Bangura, emphasized that the financing agreement represents a significant boost to Sierra Leone’s agricultural sector. He noted that the funds would be instrumental in strengthening the food value chain, increasing production, and ensuring food security in the country.
Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Henry Musa Kpaka, expressed his delight at the signing, highlighting the EU’s longstanding partnership and contributions to Sierra Leone’s agricultural development. He explained that the financing agreement would focus on improving the cassava, oil palm, and infant food value chains. Dr. Kpaka further acknowledged the EU’s strong and positive response to the Feed Salone initiative, which aims to revolutionize agriculture and enhance food production.
The Head of the EU Delegation to Sierra Leone, Ambassador Jacek Jankowski, commended the government for its commitment to cooperation and sustainable development. He recalled that the EU had signed three financing agreements with Sierra Leone last year and described this latest agreement as a milestone in agricultural value chain financing.
Ambssador Jankowski stated that the €35 million grant would focus on improving sustainability, efficiency, and inclusivity in the cassava, oil palm, and infant food value chain sectors. The program will incorporate climate-smart agricultural practices, enhance processing efficiency, and facilitate decent green job creation, particularly for women and youth involved in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programs.
He also highlighted that this agreement is part of the EU’s Multiannual Indicative Programme (2021-2027), which underscores the EU’s commitment to improving food security, empowering local communities, and fostering inclusive economic growth through climate-smart practices and strengthened value chains.
In his remarks, President Julius Maada Bio expressed deep gratitude to the European Union and its taxpayers for their unwavering support and commitment to Sierra Leone’s development. He reaffirmed that Sierra Leone enjoys a strong and productive partnership with the EU, with numerous developmental interventions visible across the country.
President Bio emphasized that the EU’s investments extend beyond infrastructure to community empowerment and livelihood improvement, directly impacting the lives of Sierra Leoneans. He praised the EU for aligning its interventions with the Feed Salone program, which he described as a priority under his administration’s Big Five Game Changers.
He further stressed that food security, improved infant nutrition, job creation—especially for women and youth—and climate-smart agriculture are key pillars of his government’s vision for economic transformation. President Bio reassured that the grant would be efficiently utilized to deliver tangible outcomes in Sierra Leone’s agricultural value chains.
The event concluded with a renewed commitment from both parties to strengthen collaboration for sustainable agricultural development, economic empowerment, and food security in Sierra Leone.
