London, October 2025 — Sierra Leone has secured nearly $2 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI) from Europe and the United States over the past three years, a milestone Chief Minister Dr. David Moinina Sengeh says reflects the country’s growing credibility and reform-driven leadership.
Speaking during a recent investment roundtable in London, Dr. Sengeh emphasized that the surge in private-sector funding is the result of deliberate government strategy. “We’ve moved from aid to trade,” he said. “This is not just rhetoric, it’s real. Sierra Leone is now a priority country for institutions like British International Investment, Proparco, FMO, DFC, and IFC.”
The Chief Minister noted that sectors such as mining, energy, agriculture, food processing, and financial services have seen the greatest impact, with companies like Miro Forestry, Jolaks, PC & Sons, FG Gold, Pure Water, Ecobank, and Planet Solar among the beneficiaries. “Even our SMEs are thriving,” he added. “They’re receiving technical assistance and accessing blended and patient capital—something unheard of just a few years ago.”
Dr. Sengeh attributed the investment boom to three key factors:
Global Engagement: “President Bio has personally led the charge, engaging investors at international forums and reshaping Sierra Leone’s image,” he said. “While tourists are still discovering Freetown, investors are already in Kamalo, Karene, where cashew butter produced entirely in Sierra Leone will hit UK shelves next month.”
Policy Reform: “We’ve built the institutions investors need,” Sengeh explained. “The National Investment Board, the National Land Commission, the Customary Land Law, and DSTI have made Sierra Leone a safe and attractive place to do business.”
Economic Stability: “The fundamentals are strong,” he said. “Forex is stable, inflation is at its lowest in a generation, and the economy is predictable. Investors are responding to our vision, the Big Five, and confidence is growing.”
Dr. Sengeh stressed that the government’s goal is not just to attract capital, but to improve lives. “When FDI complements government work, industries grow, jobs are created, and standards of living rise,” he said. “We are on a steady path to becoming a middle-income country by 2039.”
He concluded with a call to action: “We’re here in London to double down on our plan. The private sector is our partner in transformation. Together, #WeWillDeliver profits for people and planet through public-private partnerships. As I told BBC World Service, we want a win-win for all.”
