His Excellency Dr. Morie Komba Manyeh, Sierra Leone’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, held a high-level meeting with senior executives of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) at the iconic David Attenborough Building at Cambridge University.
Sir David Attenborough’s connection to Sierra Leone dates back to 1954, when he visited the country to film the BBC’s Zoo Quest, documenting the Gola Rainforest and its remarkable biodiversity. This early work helped launch his long and distinguished career and brought international attention to Sierra Leone’s pristine natural heritage.
The meeting, held yesterday, focused on strengthening collaboration to conserve the Gola Rainforest and to support sustainable development in surrounding forest-edge communities.
Covering over 70,000 hectares and home to 327 bird species, the Gola Rainforest is one of West Africa’s most significant biodiversity hotspots. Through the pioneering Gola REDD+ Project (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) West Africa’s first large-scale forest carbon initiative the partnership has protected critical habitats for endangered species such as pygmy hippos and chimpanzees. The project also benefits more than 24,000 people in 122 forest-edge communities, generating carbon credits that help prevent approximately 500,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually while promoting sustainable livelihoods through agroforestry, education, healthcare, and conservation enterprises.
RSPB senior officials present at the meeting included Dr. Jo Gilbert (Director, International), Alade Adeleke (Programme Manager, Sierra Leone), Richard Dixon (Head of Greater Gola Landscape), Lilian Goredema (International Programme Officer), and Bruce Liggit (Senior Policy Officer). They presented updates on the Gola Programme’s achievements and future plans, including transboundary collaboration with Liberia across the Greater Gola Landscape covering 350,000 hectares under the Mano River Union framework.
Dr. Manyeh, accompanied by Second Secretary Mrs. Mbalia Sankoh and Information Attaché Abdulai Braima, praised the RSPB and its partners including the Government of Sierra Leone, the Conservation Society of Sierra Leone (CSSL), and local communities for their decades-long commitment to conservation and sustainable development. He reaffirmed Sierra Leone’s readiness to support initiatives that protect its natural heritage while creating economic opportunities for rural populations.
The Gola Rainforest Conservation (GRC), a non-profit company managing the project, stands as a model for successful partnerships among governments, communities, and the private sector. It exemplifies sustainable landscape management and plays a key role in post-conflict peace-building in the region.