By Mohamed Sahr
A high-level three-day workshop organised by the International Labour Organization (ILO), Opportunity Salone, and key development partners has ended in Freetown with renewed commitments to deepen innovation, strengthen partnerships, and fast-track Sierra Leone’s economic transformation agenda.
The event, held from 3rd to 5th December 2025 at the Radisson Blu Conference Hall, brought together senior government officials, private sector leaders, SME operators, and civil society organisations under the theme: “From Vision to Impact: Celebrating Innovation, Building Partnerships, and Creating Futures.” It marked a significant moment in Sierra Leone’s drive toward inclusive and resilient development.
Delivering her keynote address, Dr. Vanessa Phala-Moyo, ILO Country Director for Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, said the engagement was designed to critically examine the ILO’s interventions while identifying strategic gaps requiring urgent reinforcement. She noted that the platform enabled SMEs, state institutions, development partners, and private organisations to share knowledge, build networks, and explore cutting-edge solutions for enterprise growth.
Dr. Phala-Moyo emphasised that the ILO’s work through Opportunity Salone aligns deliberately with the country’s Medium-Term National Development Plan and the Feed Salone initiative. According to her, these interventions have created thousands of direct and indirect jobs, strengthened value chains, and improved livelihoods across districts.
She noted that testimonies from beneficiaries at the workshop clearly demonstrated how ILO’s support is reshaping Sierra Leone’s business landscape. Lessons learned, she added, will guide future engagements as the organisation continues to support SMEs, particularly in areas where market system development and infrastructure improvements such as roads and functional marketplaces remain critical.
The ILO Director also expressed profound appreciation to the European Union for its sustained financial and technical support.
Chief Minister Dr. David Moinina Sengeh commended the European Union for its unwavering partnership and reaffirmed government’s commitment to human capital development, food security, and expanded job creation. Describing Opportunity Salone as a “practical engine” of the national transformation agenda, he said the programme continues to drive progress in agriculture, skills development, climate resilience, and SME competitiveness.
He stressed that women, youth, and persons with disabilities remain central to government’s economic recovery efforts. Since 2022, more than 3,500 farmers and SME operators have benefited from Opportunity Salone’s value chain interventions in cassava, vegetables, poultry feed, and palm oil. Over 70 SMEs have also been linked to formal markets through structured partnerships with the Ministry of Trade.
The Chief Minister added that improvements in electrification, road construction, and critical infrastructure continue to provide a stronger enabling environment for businesses to grow.
Delivering a strong message of support, Mr. Steven Merritt, Head of Cooperation for the European Union Delegation, placed Opportunity Salone within the wider EU Jobs and Growth Programme, which strengthens entrepreneurship, infrastructure expansion, and access to finance across Sierra Leone.
He reaffirmed the European Union’s commitment to youth-led innovation, women’s economic empowerment, and resilient value chains, aligned with the EU’s Global Gateway Strategy for Africa. Mr. Merritt highlighted several financing opportunities available for agribusiness SMEs and cooperatives, including blended finance mechanisms designed to enhance access to capital and support enterprise scale-up.For many SME representatives, the workshop provided a rare opportunity to showcase products, deepen market insights, and build strategic collaborations.
Francis John Sesay, CEO of Cassavity Sierra Leone Ltd in Bombali, described the forum as a “game-changing space” for innovation and partnership building.
Similarly, Emmanuel Wisdom, Managing Director of End’s Bright Ltd in Makeni, said the shared experiences and technical exchanges would help SMEs strengthen operations and sharpen their competitive edge.
The workshop closed with a unified call for deeper collaboration, innovation-driven solutions, and sustained capacity-building to accelerate Sierra Leone’s economic transformation. Participants agreed that the ILO–Opportunity Salone partnership remains a powerful catalyst for job creation, SME growth, and long-term national development.
The consensus was clear: Sierra Leone’s path to prosperity demands smarter partnerships, stronger institutions, and consistent investment in its people, and this workshop has set the stage for exactly that