Freetown, 21st October 2026- Sierra Leone’s Chief Minister, David Moinina Sengeh, has held a series of high-level engagements with senior United Kingdom officials at the Financial Times Africa Summit 2026, aimed at deepening trade, investment and development cooperation between the two countries.
Providing an update from the summit, Dr. Sengeh said discussions focused on strengthening Sierra Leone-UK relations and advancing a shared agenda for economic growth and international cooperation.
Among those he met was Kirsty McNeill, the UK’s Minister for International Development and Africa at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). Their discussions centred on the UK’s upcoming G20 Presidency and the need for more inclusive reforms of global multilateral institutions.
Dr. Sengeh said he also expressed appreciation for the United Kingdom’s continued support in promoting British investment in Sierra Leone.
The Chief Minister further met with Ben Ainsley, His Majesty’s Deputy Trade Commissioner for Africa, who is expected to participate in the forthcoming West African Integration and Investment Summit in Freetown next month.
According to Dr. Sengeh, their discussions focused on strengthening economic partnerships, attracting greater investment flows and expanding trade opportunities between Sierra Leone and the United Kingdom.
He highlighted the UK’s preferential trade arrangement for developing countries, which allows duty-free access for most goods, describing it as a positive example of trade cooperation at a time when tariffs are increasingly being used as economic tools globally.
“We intend to remove trade barriers, ease the cost of doing business in our countries, and centre our relationship on shared economic growth,” the Chief Minister stated.
The engagements form part of Sierra Leone’s broader efforts to attract foreign direct investment, boost trade and position the country as a destination for business and economic partnerships.
