The World Bank Vice President for Western and Central Africa, Ousmane Diagana, and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Director for African Affairs, Abebe Aemro Selassie, have both praised Sierra Leone’s Minister of Finance, Sheku Ahmed Fantamadi Bangura, for his transformative leadership and the country’s impressive macroeconomic performance in Washington, D.C., United States on Friday, 17 April 2026.
The commendations were made during the minister’s engagements with global economic leaders, aimed at strengthening Sierra Leone’s international economic standing in line with President Julius Maada Bio’s development agenda. In separate meetings, both institutions expressed their continued commitment to supporting the country’s economic growth.
During a meeting with senior officials of the World Bank Group, Vice President Diagana applauded the government’s reform efforts and macroeconomic achievements. He emphasized that sustained economic stability is essential for strengthening democratic governance. He further assured the minister that the World Bank would consider Sierra Leone’s proposals to mitigate the effects of the ongoing Middle East crisis.
The World Bank’s Chief Economist and Senior Vice President for Development Economics, Indermit Gill, also commended the country’s strong economic performance. He supported the minister’s analysis of how the Middle East crisis is affecting Sierra Leone and advised the government to maintain macroeconomic stability while implementing targeted policies to protect vulnerable populations, rather than broad, untargeted subsidies.
In a separate engagement with IMF Director for African Affairs, Abebe Aemro Selassie noted that while the IMF is not typically inclined to offer praise, he was highly impressed by Sierra Leone’s recent economic progress. He reaffirmed the Fund’s commitment to supporting member countries facing global economic shocks, including those arising from the Middle East crisis.
Selassie encouraged the minister to pursue additional support, particularly through the IMF’s Resilience and Sustainability Facility, to help cushion the country against external economic pressures.
Speaking on behalf of President Bio, Minister Bangura expressed appreciation to both the World Bank and the IMF for their continued support. He highlighted significant economic gains achieved over the past two years, including a reduction in inflation to 4.35 percent as of December 2025, exchange rate stability, lower interest rates on government securities, and a positive primary fiscal balance.
The minister also reported strong performance across key sectors, including education, health, and energy, noting that implementation of development projects remains on track. However, he acknowledged that the ongoing Middle East crisis poses risks to these gains and called for targeted international support to help preserve economic stability.
In his engagement with the IMF, Minister Bangura reiterated the government’s gratitude for the institution’s longstanding support and policy guidance. He attributed Sierra Leone’s current economic progress in part to the IMF’s consistent assistance and partnership.
Overall, the meetings reinforced confidence among international financial institutions in Sierra Leone’s economic direction and highlighted opportunities for continued collaboration to sustain growth and resilience.