London,
Monday 13th October 2025.
The Sierra Leone Investment Forum opened in London today, bringing together government officials, development finance institutions, and private investors to explore business opportunities in one of West Africa’s most promising economies.
Held at Herbert Smith Freehills LLP, Exchange House, the event formed part of the Government of Sierra Leone’s broader effort to attract foreign direct investment and strengthen economic ties with the United Kingdom.
Themed “Ready for Investment, Open for Partnership,” the Forum showcased Sierra Leone’s progress under His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio’s Big *Five Game Changers Agenda*, which focuses on agriculture, human capital development, youth employment, public sector reform, and technology and infrastructure.
In his opening remarks, H.E. Dr. Morie Komba Manyeh, Sierra Leone’s High Commissioner to the UK, described the Forum as “a platform designed to deepen partnerships, inspire confidence, and showcase Sierra Leone’s enormous investment potential.” He added that the government’s ongoing reforms have created “an environment where the private sector can thrive.”
Introducing the keynote speaker, Chief Minister Dr. David Moinina Sengeh, Dr. Manyeh praised him as one of the most dynamic and forward-thinking Sierra Leoneans, “a reformer who continues to inspire a new generation that believes in innovation, technology, and evidence-based policymaking as the engine of progress.”
Delivering his keynote address, Dr. Sengeh reaffirmed Sierra Leone’s readiness for global partnerships, saying the country has stabilised its economy and strengthened its laws to support investors.
“We have stabilised our economy, strengthened our laws, and simplified our systems. Now we invite our partners to join us — because Sierra Leone is ready for investment and open for partnership,” he said.
The Chief Minister pointed to single-digit inflation, a stable currency, and projected 4.5 percent GDP growth in 2025 as signs of economic resilience. He also highlighted reforms such as the establishment of the National Investment Board (NIB), led by Dr. Edward Hinga Sandy, and new legislation streamlining land acquisition, taxation, and business processes.
Dr. Sengeh identified key opportunities across agriculture, energy, manufacturing, tourism, infrastructure, and financial services, as well as in the growing creative economy, which now contributes about 4.5 percent of GDP.
“When creativity meets commerce, everybody wins,” he added.
Among those attending were Umaru Napoleon Koroma Esq., Deputy Minister of Mines and Mineral Resources; Dr. Henry Musa Kpaka, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security; Hon. Alpha Sesay Esq., Attorney General and Minister of Justice; Ms. Salima Bah, Minister of Communication, Technology and Innovation; and H.E. Josephine Lucy Louisa Gauld LVO, British High Commissioner to Sierra Leone.
The event, co-hosted by British International Investment (BII), Invest Africa, Invest Salone, and the Sierra Leone High Commission in London, concluded with a networking reception and firm commitments to deepen engagement between Sierra Leone and UK-based investors.
“When you invest in Sierra Leone, you are investing in a country where profit and purpose coexist — where sustainability is not an afterthought, but a competitive advantage,” Dr. Sengeh concluded.
Today’s Forum marked another milestone in Sierra Leone’s ongoing drive to position itself as an attractive and credible destination for global investors.
Abdulai Braima
Information Attaché
SLHC- London