To commemorate the 49th anniversary of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development, in collaboration with the ECOWAS Resident Representative in Sierra Leone, on Tuesday 28th May 2024 organized a sensitization forum at the Koidu Youth Council Hall, Koidu Town on the theme ‘One ECOWAS, One Vision. Working for You, Working for Us, Working for our Shared Future.’
In her speech, the Minister of Planning and Economic Development (MoPED), Madam Kenyah Barlay articulated that Sierra Leone is part and parcel of the ECOWAS community, that MoPED is the host Ministry for ECOWAS that is much more now into peace and security issues.
Highlighting some of the objectives of the ECOWAS, the Minister catalogued the common market, trade, free movement of goods and services, democracy and good governance and election monitoring among others and informed her audience about goverment’s five big game changers in line with the ECOWAS and African Union as well as the seven-years Mid-Term National Development Plan in line with the global agenda of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
She revealed that Government’s five big game changers include food sufficiency, human capital development, the free quality education, training and job creation for youths as well as effective management of the country’s resources.
Giving a brief background about ECOWAS, the Development Secretary, Mr. Peter Sam Kparka revealed that it was founded by 15 West African countries on 28th May 1975 through a treaty to promote trade and economic development within the region without hiderance.
He asserted that Sierra Leone is greatful to ECOWAS recalling the peacekeepers who were deployed in the country during the civil war that brought lasting peace and security and now the ongoing construction of the Logistics Depot for security within the sub-region.
The Development Secretary also highlighted the $6 million soft loan from the ECOWAS Investment Bank to construct the headquarters of the Sierra Leone Maritime Administration, $30 million to bail out SIERRATEL and the $30 million loan for the construction of additional buildings and facilities for the Kono University that is still in the pipeline.
The Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on MoPED, Hon. Peter Yamba Koroma commended MoPED for the visit and underscored that Kono deserves more as the country’s bread basket.
Highlights of the well-attended event were the documentary on ECOWAS and the question and answer session.
Earlier, the delegation visited the Kono University of Science and Technology that is 100% funded by the Government of Sierra Leone as the University awaits the loan from the agreement signed with the ECOWAS Investment Bank for further expansion.
Currently, the University is using the facilities of the Government Technical Institute.
The Minister observed that she is impressed with the ongoing work of the classroom blocks, multi-purpose and administrative buildings, laboratory and IT blocks and borehole all to be completed by October this year.
