By: Thaimu Bai Sesay
With support from the African Development Bank (AfDB) through the Mano River Union Road Development and Transportation Facilitation Project, the Sierra Leone Roads Authority (SLRA) has launched the Kailahun to Koidu road project.
The Country Programe Officer at the African Development Bank, Feclicita Atanga in her statement at the launching of the project affirmed that the Mano River Union Road Development and Transportation Facilitation Project was approved by the board of directors of the African Development Bank in March 2022 at a total cost of 35 Million United States dollars. She clarified that the project was not a loan but a grant and a regional project covering Liberia Guinea and Sierra Leone.
The Country Program Officer at AfDP further explained that the project made provision for the construction of 25 kilometers of road network from Kailahun to Koidu at the Kailahun Koidu Curridor in Sierra Leone. She assured that the construction of the bridge at the Makona River linking Guinea would eventually reduce transport cost, would ease the free movement of people and goods, would promote trade and the living standards of the locals.
Felicita Atanga said it was expected that the project would create approximately 500 temporal jobs over the next two years, and 30 percent of which would be reserved for women. She also said the project would finance the feasibility studies for 90 kilometers of roads from Bo, Yeli to Matotocar and the construction of the Koidu Market. She added that the project would also consolidate road rehabilitation effort and boost economic recovery in the country, following the COVID-19 pandemic and the present Russian-Ukrain war effect.
The Secretary General of the Mano River Union, Ambassador Maria Harrison said that when the project would be fully completed it would facilitate the opening up of the interiors of Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia. She expressed that the project would lead to the strengthening of the sub regional integration and trade within the Mano River Union areas. She said with help of the AfDB road transport programs it had because more and more convenient for people to travel within the Mano River Union counties.
Amara Kanneh, Engineer at the Sierra Leone Road Authority affirmed that as government they had been putting measures in place to ensure the speedy implementation of the project. He said they had been engaging all stakeholders from the communities since the inception of the idea unto that moment. “The stakeholders had signed the contract agreement in two weeks back in Kailahun before we are launching it today,” he maintained. He said the natives appreciated the project and they were very curious to see its commencement.
The Kailahun District Chairman, Sahr Lamin said that they had been anxiously waiting for the commencement of the project. “We do have many agricultural products to deliver for our people but the effects of bad roads network had been a big challenge for us here,” he said. The Kailahun Chairman emphasized the importance of good road network and said they would be very excited to see the commencement of the project. He expressed optimism that all other developments would eventually follow when there would be good roads.