Islamic Development Bank Engages Ministry of Planning on Strategic Alignment with National Development Priorities.

The Islamic Development Bank (Isdb) held a high-level dialogue with the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development (Moped) on Monday, 5 May 2025, to align its interventions with Sierra Leone’s Medium-Term National Development Plan (MTNDP) 2024–2030. The meeting, held at the Ministry’s Conference Hall in Freetown, focused on enhancing bilateral cooperation and targeting strategic areas of national priority.

Leading the Isdb delegation was Mr. Omar Daris, who underscored the Bank’s long-standing partnership with Sierra Leone through key investments in agriculture, energy, health, education, water and sanitation, and transport, amounting to approximately half a billion dollars. Daris explained that this renewed engagement with Moped was a strategic move to deepen coordination and ensure that future ISDB projects are fully aligned with the government’s development blueprint.

In her keynote address, the Minister of Planning and Economic Development, Dr. Kenyeh Barlay, welcomed the delegation and outlined the core pillars of the MTNDP, which spans from 2024 to 2030 and is closely aligned with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS). She highlighted the “Big Five Game Changers”—Feed Salone, Human Capital Development, Youth Empowerment, Technology and Innovation, and Public Sector Reform—as the plan’s guiding framework.

Dr. Barlay noted that the MTNDP integrates governance, peacebuilding, and climate resilience as cross-cutting priorities and is supported by an annual results-based assessment framework to track progress in implementation. She commended the Isdb’s approach in conducting a financing landscape assessment and emphasised the need for alternative financing mechanisms to support priority sectors, including innovation, energy, blue economy initiatives, and community development funds.

Soule Sow, Senior Economist at the IsDB, expressed appreciation for the clarity and comprehensiveness of the national development strategy. He acknowledged that the plan provides a solid foundation for identifying areas where the Bank’s interventions can have the most sustainable impact, particularly within the “Big Five” framework.

Also addressing the meeting, Mr. Sheka Bangura, Director of Planning, Policy, and Research, spoke about the government’s efforts to decentralise development by enhancing district and chiefdom-level planning and aligning them with the MTNDP. He emphasised the importance of financial governance, especially in the mining sector, and called for mechanisms that ensure mineral wealth benefits local communities through development funds.

Mr. Alpha Bangura, Director of Public Investment Management, reiterated the centrality of the “Feed Salone” initiative in addressing food insecurity, noting that challenges related to irrigation, road infrastructure, and energy must be addressed to improve agricultural productivity. He also emphasised the importance of improving education through school feeding programmes, quality teaching materials, and increased access to schooling in rural areas.

Assistant Director of Monitoring and Evaluation, Daniel Banya Brima, praised Minister Barlay’s leadership in institutionalising annual progress tracking. He mentioned the government’s plans to establish a National Monitoring and Evaluation Agency to enhance accountability, transparency, and service delivery through bankable projects.

Director Abie Elizabeth Kamara highlighted the critical link between development and peacebuilding. She called for continuous assessments of conflict drivers and the integration of peace and national cohesion into development strategies.

The meeting concluded with Minister Barlay reaffirming Sierra Leone’s commitment to strengthening its collaboration with the Islamic Development Bank. She formally handed over a copy of the MTNDP 2024–2030 to the head of the IsDB delegation, marking a renewed chapter in strategic partnership and development cooperation.

John Farfira Kamara

Email: johnfarfirakamara@gmail.com

Phone: +232 79 185 532