By Hassan Osman Kargbo
Sierra Leone’s Vice President, Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh, on Friday represented President Julius Maada Bio at a high-level side event in Sevilla, Spain, during the margins of the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FFD4).
The session, hosted by the influential advocacy group Global Citizen Now, brought together world leaders, development experts, and philanthropic institutions to address the growing financing gaps affecting countries in the Global South. The discussions focused on identifying practical and inclusive strategies to mobilise both domestic and international resources in support of sustainable development.
In his remarks, Vice President Juldeh Jalloh, a former development specialist with the United Nations, made a compelling case for a paradigm shift in how development in Africa is financed. He argued that traditional donor-driven models, heavily reliant on Official Development Assistance (ODA), are insufficient to address the scale of challenges facing the continent.
“Official Development Assistance alone cannot meet Africa’s pressing development needs,” he stated. “Countries must take bold steps to build stronger regulatory, financial, and governance frameworks that are attractive to private sector investors.”
Citing Sierra Leone’s own experiences, VP Jalloh noted that reforms under President Bio’s administration have focused on strengthening public institutions, promoting fiscal discipline, and enhancing the investment climate. He encouraged fellow African nations to adopt similar measures that create a stable and transparent environment for long-term private investment.
The Vice President’s call for a new financing model based on public-private collaboration was met with strong support from other key participants at the event. Among them was Mark Suzman, CEO of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, who publicly endorsed the Vice President’s remarks, noting that “African leaders must be empowered to create the right conditions for inclusive investment, and it’s time the global community supports that vision.”
Suzman echoed the need for international financial institutions and donor governments to complement traditional aid with mechanisms that de-risk private sector involvement in African markets. He added that institutions like the Gates Foundation are increasingly focused on partnerships that help unlock private capital for impact-driven projects, particularly in health, education, and agriculture.
The session featured perspectives from other development actors, including representatives from the World Bank, African Development Bank, and leading civil society organisations. They agreed that more sustainable development outcomes in the Global South require bold reforms and innovative financing solutions that go beyond conventional aid.
Vice President Jalloh’s participation in the Sevilla event underscores Sierra Leone’s growing leadership role in global development dialogue. His message aligns with President Bio’s broader policy direction on economic diversification and private sector-led growth.
The Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development serves as a platform to evaluate progress on global commitments made under the Addis Ababa Action Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
As the world moves toward the 2030 deadline for the SDGs, calls like those made by VP Jalloh are becoming increasingly urgent. His message in Sevilla offered both a candid assessment of Africa’s financing needs and a hopeful blueprint for achieving sustainable development through reform and strategic investment partnerships.
