By: Saidu Jalloh
President Julius Maada Bio has on the two days National Dialogue on Sierra Leone Energy Transition Plan organized by the Presidential Initiative on Climate Change, Renewable Energy and Food security said that his long term vision is to position Sierra Leone as an Agricultural Power House and Regional Energy Hub.
Speaking at the occasion, the President, Julius Maada Bio used the opportunity to welcome members of government, Parliamentarians and elected local government officials and international partners. The president, Julius Maada Bio opined that his long term plan is to position Sierra Leone as an agricultural power house and regional energy hub.
“ We aim to achieve this by establishing investment and mobilizing investment for one giga watt of energy generation capacity over the next ten to fifteen years for local consumption and export in our sub region,’’ President Bio explains.
He also expressed that transformative growth in advance manufacturing and agricultural production, delivering of thousands of quality jobs to Sierra Leoneans and improving the economy and fulfilling their climate action goals. He added that to accomplished this target, he said that his government is committed to developing policy and programs to achieve climate resilient and food sufficiency.
He further ed that his government ambitions arises from challenges that are equally fueled by opportunities such as their abundant natural resources and enviable demographic profile and low carbon food print. He continued that his government is striving for next legacy food print using renewable energy to incorporate the agricultural system, energized the rural area and creates gainful employment. He said that to achieve this agenda, they had to seek partnership with other countries bilateral and multilateral institutions.
The president narrated that, the presidential initiative on Climate Change and Renewable Energy and Food Security is set up to coordinate, provide strategic guidance, to support, facilitate collaboration and partnerships and accelerate investment and resource mobilization and that is why this presidential initiative is set to hit the ground running and that is why they are gathered there at that occasion. He denoted that they are laying the ground work for multi sectoral relations, ensuring the coordinated approach and aligned with their national priorities and United Nations framework convention on climate change.
President Julius Maada Bio also explained that the dialogue would also provide input in their next medium term national development plan which is under preparation as eluded by the ministers. He said that he wanted to cease the opportunity to acknowledge the significant investment of the Millennium Challenge Corporation [MCC] The World Bank, The African Development Bank European Union [EU] and other development partners who taken extensive study of their energy sector during the past five years and also developed programs to generations, transmission and distribution.
He lamented that they have to harness these efforts and develop the just and inclusive energy transition plan consistent without their nationally determined commitment and our ambition to building our industrial industry by 2035. He said that their ambitious energy plan would help them create wealth and access to renewable and sustainable energy for all.
President Bio assured that he believed that this dialogue would contribute to laying the foundation for achieving their energy transition goal. He said, ‘’ considering this we seek investment with international partnership to advance their climate action and development initiatives.’’
He noted that under his flagship program, Feed Salone, he intended to utilize clean energy to promote climate smart agriculture and agro industrialization, increase domestic revenue and expand market access. He reiterated that the Feed Salone Program further solidified their goals to be a food sufficient nation, establishing rural community box to address the longstanding challenges and social inequalities.
In climaxing the occasion, President Bio said that while their challenges is monumental and the challenges are insurmountable and that Sierra Leone could no longer wait just like blood into the body so is energy to the economy, and this national dialogue is a step in a right direction to please strategic partnership to reach a greater level of ambition and delivery. He ended the conservation by appealing to international partners. He said that their support, collective support and Sierra Leone would achieve the vision of transforming into a regional leader in food energy access, climate resilient and food security.