Chief Minister Dr. David Moinina Sengeh has advanced Sierra Leone’s engagement with the private sector during the 81st United Nations General Assembly week in New York, holding strategic meetings focused on renewable energy, artificial intelligence and infrastructure financing.
The engagements brought together government officials and private-sector partners to review ongoing investments, explore new areas of collaboration and strengthen the pipeline of bankable projects capable of supporting Sierra Leone’s long-term development. The discussions are aligned with the Government’s Medium-Term National Development Plan (MTNDP) 2024–2030, which places investment, innovation, technology, infrastructure and private-sector growth at the centre of efforts to deliver the Big Five Game Changers and advance Sierra Leone’s ambition of becoming an inclusive and green middle-income economy.
In the energy sector, Dr. Sengeh, alongside Minister of Energy Mr. Cyril Grant, met with Zoisa North-Bond of Octopus Energy to discuss progress on the company’s 1MW hybrid wind, solar and battery renewable energy project in Bonthe Island. The project reflects Sierra Leone’s ambition to expand clean and reliable energy access while demonstrating how innovation and renewable energy can support industrialisation and economic activity, particularly in underserved communities. It also supports the Government’s broader Technology and Infrastructure priorities under the Big Five.
Chief Minister also engaged partners from Kenya, IDinsight and the OpenAI Foundation on Sierra Leone’s emerging Country-as-AI-Lab approach. The discussions focused on using artificial intelligence and data-driven innovation to improve citizen service delivery and strengthen decision-making across government. Dr. Sengeh reaffirmed Sierra Leone’s commitment to seeding, testing and scaling responsible innovations that can deliver practical benefits for citizens, building on the country’s National Innovation and Digital Strategy and its wider digital transformation agenda. The initiative further supports the Government’s ambition to harness technology and innovation to transform public services and accelerate development.
On infrastructure, Dr. Sengeh and Dr. Edward Sandy, Executive Director of the National Investment Board, met with Accrow Bridge to review progress on the Lungi Bridge Project. The meeting examined the technical and preparatory work required to make the project bankable and attract private-sector financing. With US$1.6 million in support from the US Trade and Development Agency, Accrow Bridge is expected to undertake critical studies, including traffic-flow and environmental and social assessments, beginning in November 2026. The project already has a commitment from the US Development Finance Corporation, while the additional studies are expected to strengthen the basis for securing further private investment.
The engagements underscore the Government’s approach to mobilising private-sector investment, developing bankable projects and strengthening the energy, infrastructure and digital systems required to deliver the Big Five Game Changers. They also demonstrate the importance of partnerships and innovative financing in translating the priorities of the MTNDP 2024–2030 into practical investments with measurable development outcomes.
Through these engagements in New York, the Chief Minister is strengthening partnerships that can support job creation, expand access to reliable energy and technology, improve connectivity, attract investment and enhance public service delivery, in line with President Julius Maada Bio’s development agenda and the Government’s commitment to delivering for the people of Sierra Leone.
