By: Saidu Jalloh
The Ministry of Planning and Economic Development (MoPED) on Wednesday hosted a delegation of student officers from the Nigerian National Defence College as part of a study tour examining the economic contribution of the extractive industry to national development in Sierra Leone.
The engagement took place at the Ministry’s Conference Hall at Tower Hill in Freetown on 11 March 2026. It formed part of the College’s regional study tour aimed at exposing participants to governance systems, economic policies, and strategic development issues across African countries.
Welcoming the delegation on behalf of the Minister of Planning and Economic Development, Deputy Development Secretary Usman Cherry Conteh said the visit provided an opportunity for knowledge sharing and strengthened collaboration between Sierra Leone and Nigeria in the areas of development planning and natural resource governance.
He expressed appreciation to the delegation for selecting the ministry as one of the key institutions relevant to their research topic, “Extractive Industry and National Development in Sierra Leone: Lessons for Nigeria.”
The delegation was led by Air Commodore E.O. Oluokun, Team Leader from the Nigerian National Defence College. He explained that the College, established in 1992, provides strategic-level training for senior military officers and selected civilian officials from ministries, departments, and agencies.
Oluokun said the regional study tour enables participants to better understand the strategic, political, and economic environments of partner countries while drawing lessons that can inform policy development and national planning.
He added that the current course includes participants from the Nigerian Armed Forces as well as international officers from countries such as Chad, Ghana, and Liberia.
During the engagement, the Director of Policy, Planning, and Research at MoPED, Dr. Sheka Bangura, delivered a presentation on the economic contribution of the extractive industry within Sierra Leone’s national development framework.
Dr. Bangura explained that the country’s development agenda is guided by the Medium-Term National Development Plan (MTNDP) 2024-2030, which focuses on five strategic priorities known as the “Big Five Game Changers.”
These priorities include the Feed Salone Initiative, Human Capital Development, the Youth Employment Scheme, Technology and Infrastructure, and Transforming the Public Service.
He noted that the extractive sector is addressed within the plan’s objective of diversifying the economy and promoting sustainable growth, with particular emphasis on value addition and improved management of natural resources.
According to Dr. Bangura, the government’s strategic objective for the mining sector is to strengthen governance and oversight of mining activities while promoting value addition, job creation, poverty reduction, community benefits, environmental rehabilitation, and increased revenue generation.
Speaking on the oil and gas sector, he said the government aims to revitalize the industry through sustainable exploration and expansion while strengthening institutional capacity to improve operational performance.
Dr. Bangura also highlighted initiatives aimed at financing Sierra Leone’s development agenda. These include plans to establish a State Mineral or Sovereign Wealth Fund and efforts to strengthen the Community Development Fund through chiefdom planning mechanisms to enhance community participation and benefits in mining areas.
He further noted that the government is exploring alternative financing sources such as climate finance, carbon trading, diaspora financing, and other thematic bonds, while also promoting investment opportunities within the country’s blue economy.
The meeting concluded with an interactive session during which the visiting delegation engaged ministry officials on issues relating to natural resource governance, development planning, and the role of the extractive sector in supporting sustainable development.