By Amin Kef (Ranger)
The United States Ambassador to Sierra Leone, Bryan David Hunt, hosted Vice President, Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh and members of the Millennium Challenge Authority Sierra Leone (MCA-SL) Board of Directors for a working lunch at his residence on Wednesday, August 20. The meeting marked the resumption of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Compact implementation and set the stage for next steps in the initiative.
The MCA-SL Board is currently recruiting its executive team and filling remaining positions, including two Civil Society Organization (CSO) representatives and one private sector Board member, to complete its membership.
Ambassador Bryan David Hunt and MCC Country Director, Steven Grudda previously met with the Vice President on October 10, 2024, to discuss the Compact’s progress and preconditions for implementation, including the 84 recommendations of the Tripartite Committee. Vice President Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh, serving as the Government’s official point of contact on the Compact, was presented with a pen used to sign the historic agreement.
Earlier this year, the United States Government approved a $480 million MCC Compact for Sierra Leone, with the Government contributing an additional $14.2 million. The Compact, signed in September 2024, aims to address Sierra Leone’s energy challenges by improving access to reliable and affordable electricity, expanding the national grid and strengthening key energy institutions.
President Julius Maada Bio welcomed the approval, describing it as a “vote of confidence in our Government’s commitment to transforming the energy sector,” and highlighted its potential to attract investment, create jobs and support economic growth.
According to the MCC, only 30 percent of Sierra Leone’s population has access to electricity with rural access below five percent. The Compact focuses on three main projects:
- Distribution and Access Project – to expand electricity access and improve service delivery.
- Transmission Backbone Project – to reinforce and expand the national grid.
- Power Sector Reform Project – to strengthen institutions and attract private sector participation.
In a related development, Sierra Leone’s Ambassador to the United States, His Excellency Amara Sheikh Mohammed Sowa, presented his credentials to President Donald J. Trump in Washington, D.C., on July 24, 2025. Ambassador Amara Sheikh Mohammed Sowa emphasized the strong bilateral ties between the two countries and described the MCC Compact as “a partnership for progress.”
With implementation underway, Sierra Leone is poised to make significant strides in energy access, economic growth and improved living standards, while strengthening its longstanding partnership with the United States.
