By: Saidu Jalloh
The newly appointed leadership of the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) has held a strategic courtesy visit with the Turkish Ambassador to Sierra Leone, aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation in disaster management and emergency response.
The meeting, held at the Turkish Embassy in Freetown, formed part of the new NDMA administration’s efforts to introduce its leadership and deepen international partnerships that support Sierra Leone’s disaster preparedness and resilience agenda.
During the engagement, the Director General of the NDMA, John V. Rogers, said the visit provided an important opportunity to present the Agency’s new leadership and explore potential areas of collaboration, particularly in disaster risk reduction, risk financing, risk communication, and humanitarian response operations.
He also highlighted the Agency’s establishment and progress since its inception, noting that the NDMA was created by His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio as a demonstration of the President’s commitment to ensuring that Sierra Leone is adequately equipped to manage and mitigate disaster risks.
In his remarks, the Turkish Ambassador to Sierra Leone, Burak Rende, congratulated the new leadership and reaffirmed Turkey’s readiness to collaborate with the NDMA through the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA). He noted that such cooperation would significantly strengthen Sierra Leone’s disaster preparedness and response capabilities.
Deputy Director General Sulaiman Bockarie Sowa also reaffirmed the Agency’s commitment to fostering meaningful partnerships.
“Our leadership is determined to deepen cooperation with partners who share our vision for a safer and more resilient Sierra Leone. We look forward to building practical, results-oriented collaborations with the Government and people of Turkey,” DDG Sowa emphasized.
The NDMA delegation included Director General John V. Rogers, Deputy Director General Sulaiman B. Sowa, Chief of Operations Kai Banya, and Director of Finance Morie Basie Karteh.
The new NDMA leadership remains committed to leveraging international partnerships to enhance national resilience, improve disaster preparedness, and strengthen the Agency’s capacity to safeguard lives and livelihoods across Sierra Leone.