Freetown, 13th April 2026– President Julius Maada Bio’s latest “Manjalaji” effort appears to have paid off. During a meeting at the OPEC Fund Headquarters, OPEC Fund President Dr. Abdulhamid Alkhalifa pledged support for the construction of a Cancer Centre in Sierra Leone and reaffirmed the Fund’s commitment to strengthening the country’s agriculture, energy, and economic sectors.
The term “Manjalaji,” which generally means begging, is a Krio‑infused word that has spread across Sierra Leone’s ethnic languages including Mende, Fula, Susu, and Mandingo, often used to describe someone asking insistently or persistently, sometimes even shamelessly.
President Bio recently adopted the word himself while responding to critics of his frequent travels, explaining that his journeys are not for personal gain but for lobbying and “begging” on behalf of Sierra Leone to secure investments, jobs, and technical skills for young people.
Speaking candidly, the President said: “When some people say the Pa is always travelling, they don’t realize those trips bring things home to Sierra Leone. Plenty of what happens isn’t in the budget. When I travel, I don’t ask for myself. When I went to the Gulf region, I used the opportunity to Manjalaji. I am begging so we can get jobs and technical skills for our young people.”
OPEC Fund President praised the deepening partnership between Sierra Leone and the Fund, noting progress since the 2024 Vienna Roundtable. He highlighted ongoing collaboration with the International Atomic Energy Agency to expand radiotherapy access in countries with limited treatment facilities, citing the Democratic Republic of Congo as a recent beneficiary.
Senior OPEC Fund officials briefed the President on several pipeline projects including the USD 30 million Livestock & Livelihoods Development Project (LLDP), USD 50 million Kambia Special Agro‑Processing Zone (SAPZ), USD 50 million Bumbuna Hydro Project (pending Board approval) and the review of the pre‑feasibility study for the Kambia‑Kychom road
Dr. Alkhalifa further assured Bio that the Fund would support the upcoming West African Integration and Investment Summit in October and assist Sierra Leone in mitigating economic shocks from the Gulf conflict.
President Bio expressed gratitude, commending the Fund’s leadership in advancing sustainable development. He recalled that the 2024 Vienna Roundtable generated USD 850 million in pledges, with 43 percent already translated into concrete investments. He stressed that the Cancer Centre project, delayed by financing challenges, would now receive a much‑needed boost.
Bio also addressed global economic pressures: “The disruption of energy supply routes has driven oil prices to historic highs, triggering inflation across transport, electricity, and industry. Fertilizer supply chains are constrained, pushing up costs and reducing yields. For countries like ours, these external shocks threaten to erode hard‑won gains and intensify the cost‑of‑living burden.”
The pledge by the OPEC Fund aligns with Bio’s longstanding commitment to healthcare reform. His “Manjalaji” approach, persistent lobbying and begging on behalf of Sierra Leone may be unconventional, but the president believes it is delivering results.
