Freetown, Sierra Leone
The Sierra Leonean government unveiled a $5.8m investment in 62 small and medium-sized agribusinesses, aimed at enhancing food production and security in the country.
The funding, supported by the World Bank through its Food Systems Resilience Programme (FSRP), will be matched by $1.25m from the businesses themselves. Half the amount is set to be disbursed within a week, according to the country’s agriculture minister, Henry Musa Kpaka.
The initiative targets key agricultural value chains, including rice, livestock and feed, and cassava. 22 of the selected enterprises focus on rice, 27 on livestock and feed, and 13 on cassava. Investments will support capital improvements in processing, post-harvest management, mechanisation, branding and production.
Kpaka highlighted that 42% of the SMEs are women-owned, underscoring efforts to promote gender-inclusive development. “Private sector is central to sustaining H.E. President Julius Maada Bio’s #FeedSalone flagship,” he posted on X, formerly Twitter. “We are backing our words with real investment,” he said.
The announcement corresponds with Bio’s “FeedSalone” initiative, launched to reduce Sierra Leone’s reliance on food imports, boost exports, create jobs and build a resilient food system.
The country, which imports significant quantities of staples like rice and poultry, faces ongoing challenges from climate change, economic pressures and past conflicts, with around 57% of its population experiencing food insecurity, according to World Bank data.
FSRP, a multi-phase regional programme, forms a cornerstone of these efforts. In Sierra Leone, it totals $153.34 million from the World Bank approved in 2025, plus additional crisis response and global agriculture grants.
The programme spans seven West African countries and seeks to increase preparedness against food insecurity while improving food system resilience.
Implemented across Sierra Leone’s 15 agricultural districts, FSRP focuses on rice, cassava and livestock. Recent progress includes ground-breaking for the country’s first fertiliser testing laboratory and support for large-scale rice farming by the armed forces to cut imports.
A $7.9m matching grant window has also been launched for agribusinesses, part of wider investments in mechanisation, seeds, processing and climate-smart agriculture.
Experts welcome the move but caution that sustained implementation is key. “This could transform local production, but challenges like infrastructure gaps and market access remain,” said a World Bank official involved in similar projects.
The investment comes in the middle of regional efforts to combat food crises exacerbated by conflicts in neighbouring Sahel countries and global supply disruptions. Sierra Leone’s agriculture sector, employing over 60% of the workforce, contributes about half of GDP, yet productivity lags due to limited technology and finance.
Government data shows rice production rose in 2024, though imports persist. Poultry output grew, with egg production up from 57.9 million in 2023 to 88.2 million in 2024, supported by new policies attracting private investment.
Complementary projects, such as a $75m Special Agro-Processing Zone for rice, aim to further industrialise the sector. Over 1,000 youth and more than 100 women-led businesses have received training and grants through related schemes.
Officials say the country’s focus is on empowering communities and fostering partnerships for long-term food sovereignty. The programme is expected to benefit hundreds of thousands of farmers and vulnerable households, contributing to West Africa’s wider resilience goals.
