By Amin Kef (Ranger)
The High Commissioner of India to Sierra Leone, Baisnab Charan Pradhan, on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, outlined major opportunities for Sierra Leone and the wider African continent ahead of the upcoming Fourth India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS-IV) and the India-Africa Business Dialogue and Exhibition scheduled to take place from May 29 to 31, 2026, in New Delhi.
The presentation was delivered during a high-level press briefing held at the Lagoonda Hotel in Aberdeen, Freetown, where members of the diplomatic community, business leaders, investors and stakeholders gathered to discuss the growing partnership between India and African nations.
Among those present at the event were India Commission in Sierra Leone Chargé d’Affaires, Neeraj Saini, Executive Director of the National Investment Board, Dr. Edward Sandy, President of the Sierra Leone Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture, Oluniyi Robin Coker, prominent businessman Rajesh Balani of Balani and Sons Enterprise, Harish Agnani, Head of Choithram’s, Uganda’s Consul, Deepak Bhurani, CEO of Emkay Store Manoj Rajwani, Girish Harish Budhwani and several members of Sierra Leone’s private sector and diplomatic circles.
Speaking during the engagement, High Commissioner Baisnab Charan Pradhan described the India-Africa Forum Summit as one of the most significant institutional platforms aimed at strengthening relations between India and African countries across a wide range of sectors including trade, technology, healthcare, infrastructure, education, agriculture, development cooperation and cultural exchange.
According to him, the summit has become a major mechanism for advancing political and diplomatic relations, trade and investment partnerships, capacity building programmes and people-to-people engagement between India and Africa.
The High Commissioner explained that the India-Africa Forum Summit journey began in 2008 in New Delhi, followed by the second summit in Addis Ababa in 2011 and the third edition in New Delhi in 2015. He disclosed that the fourth summit, expected later this month in India, will be held under the theme: “IA SPIRIT – India Africa Strategic Partnership for Innovation, Resilience and Inclusive Transformation.”
He emphasised that the 2026 summit comes at a crucial period for both India and Africa as the two sides seek to strengthen South-South cooperation and deepen collaboration around sustainable development, industrialisation, innovation and economic transformation.
According to the High Commissioner, the summit’s vision aligns with Africa’s Agenda 2063 development blueprint and India’s Viksit Bharat 2047 agenda, which focuses on long-term national transformation and inclusive growth.
“The partnership between India and Africa is built on mutual respect, shared aspirations and common development priorities,” he stated, adding that the summit aims to move beyond traditional diplomacy by promoting innovation-driven and people-centered cooperation.
Highlighting the growing economic relationship between India and Africa, Shri Pradhan disclosed that bilateral trade between India and African countries exceeded US$100 billion during the 2024-2025 period, while Indian investments across the continent currently stand between US$75 billion and US$80 billion.
He identified several strategic sectors driving the partnership, including energy, mining, infrastructure, telecommunications, agriculture, pharmaceuticals and digital technology.
Focusing specifically on Sierra Leone, the High Commissioner pointed to several sectors with strong potential for future collaboration between the two countries. These include agriculture and agro-processing, mining and critical minerals, infrastructure development, renewable energy, healthcare modernization, digital economy initiatives, fintech innovation, pharmaceuticals, education and human capacity development.
Speaking on the upcoming India-Africa Business Dialogue (IABD), Shri Pradhan described the forum as a flagship private-sector platform that brings together investors, businesses, policymakers, financial institutions and development partners from India and African countries.
According to him, the business dialogue seeks to transform policy discussions into practical economic partnerships capable of driving investment, innovation, industrialization and regional growth across Africa.
He explained that the dialogue will focus on promoting trade and investment opportunities, strengthening small and medium-sized enterprises, facilitating technology transfer and building sustainable value chains between India and African economies.
The High Commissioner strongly encouraged Sierra Leone to participate actively in the dialogue, stressing that the event offers enormous opportunities for Sierra Leonean businesses and institutions to access Indian investment, technology and industrial expertise.
He further highlighted the importance of business-to-business engagement opportunities that will allow Sierra Leonean entrepreneurs and companies to hold direct discussions with Indian firms on investment partnerships, technology cooperation, infrastructure development and market expansion.
According to him, Sierra Leonean businesses stand to benefit significantly from partnerships in manufacturing, agriculture, healthcare services, renewable energy, mining support services and digital innovation.
Shri Pradhan also underscored India’s longstanding development cooperation with Sierra Leone, describing the relationship as one rooted in solidarity, mutual growth and practical support.
He noted that over the years, India has supported Sierra Leone through concessional loans, grants, training programmes, infrastructure support and socio-economic development initiatives.
The High Commissioner added that the exhibition component of the India-Africa Business Dialogue will provide Sierra Leone with an important platform to showcase its investment opportunities, natural resources, tourism potential, industrial strengths and development success stories to Indian industries, investors and Government institutions.
He stressed that the exhibition will not only promote Sierra Leone as an investment destination but also create opportunities for long-term commercial partnerships capable of accelerating economic transformation and job creation.
Also speaking during the briefing, Dr. Edward Hinga Sandy, Executive Director of the National Investment Board (NIB), described the India-Africa Business Dialogue and Exhibition as a strategic opportunity for Sierra Leone to strengthen economic cooperation with India and attract transformative investments into key productive sectors.
Dr. Edward Sandy explained that India has increasingly emerged as one of Sierra Leone’s major trade and investment partners, noting that Government’s industrialization agenda has been driven by deliberate reforms aimed at stimulating domestic production, increasing investment and improving economic resilience.
He disclosed that during his tenure as Minister of Trade, Government reviewed the country’s industrial policy framework and introduced a Special Economic Zone policy designed to accelerate industrial growth and attract investors into strategic sectors including agro-processing, agriculture, mineral beneficiation and light manufacturing.
According to Dr. Edward Sandy, the reforms have already generated growing interest from Indian investors who now see Sierra Leone as an emerging destination for industrial and commercial opportunities.
Highlighting some success stories, he pointed to the establishment of Sierra Leone’s first steel industry by an Indian investor as a major milestone in the country’s industrialization journey.
He also referenced ongoing investments in iron ore processing into iron pigment and aluminum recycling initiatives aimed at promoting value addition rather than exporting raw materials.
In the agricultural sector, Dr. Edward Sandy praised Pee Cee & Sons for pioneering large-scale onion farming and local palm oil processing initiatives, which he said are helping position Sierra Leone toward becoming a net exporter of vegetable oil.
He stressed that the broader objective behind Government’s industrialization drive is to reduce dependence on imports and strengthen local production capacity, especially in light of lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic when global supply chain disruptions exposed vulnerabilities in import-dependent economies.
Dr. Edward Sandy maintained that building strong local industries remains essential for long-term economic resilience, employment creation and sustainable growth.
He further noted that participation in the India-Africa Business Dialogue would create opportunities for Sierra Leonean businesses to showcase the country’s investment climate, explore financing opportunities and establish strategic international partnerships.
According to him, several compliant businesses operating in Sierra Leone have already attracted international financing from institutions such as the International Finance Corporation and French financial partners.
He also underscored existing South-South cooperation arrangements between Sierra Leone and India, which he said could facilitate increased exports of Sierra Leonean products into the Indian market.
Dr. Edward Sandy encouraged Sierra Leonean businesses and investors to fully maximize the opportunities presented by the India-Africa Business Dialogue in order to accelerate the country’s industrial transformation agenda.
Adding the voice of the private sector, President of the Sierra Leone Chamber of Commerce (SLCC), Industry and Agriculture, Oluniyi Robin Coker, stated that the summit has the potential to unlock significant economic opportunities for Sierra Leonean businesses if participants approach the engagement strategically and proactively.
Oluniyi Robin Coker explained that the ultimate success of the summit would depend on how effectively businesses prepare themselves, build partnerships, identify procurement channels and secure export opportunities into the Indian market.
He noted that he has already observed substantial Indian investment activity in countries such as Saudi Arabia and South Africa, describing India’s growing international business footprint as evidence that Sierra Leone must position itself to attract similar investments.
Speaking on the country’s business environment, Oluniyi Robin Coker stated that he could not claim to be satisfied with the current state of businesses in Sierra Leone because complacency often undermines innovation, competitiveness and growth.
He stressed that Sierra Leone must remain focused on expanding businesses, increasing employment opportunities, improving wages and strengthening Government revenue generation through taxation.
According to him, businesses in Sierra Leone are operating under difficult global economic conditions and therefore require supportive and predictable Government policies to succeed.
Oluniyi Robin Coker carefully distinguished between policy support and Government interference, emphasizing that businesses need an enabling environment built on transparency, consistency and fairness.
He noted that Government’s role should be to establish policies that encourage competition, attract investment and create opportunities for both local and foreign businesses to thrive.
Citing the recently launched Flour Mill project operated by a member of the Chamber of Commerce, he described it as clear evidence that supportive Government policies can help attract major international investments into Sierra Leone.
He concluded that while Government may not be able to directly support every business, strong and consistent policies can create a level playing field that enables companies to grow and contribute meaningfully to national economic development.
The upcoming summit is expected to attract African Heads of State, senior Government officials, investors, policymakers, business executives and development experts from across Africa and India, making it one of the largest platforms for Africa-India cooperation in recent years.
Analysts believe the growing partnership between India and Sierra Leone presents significant opportunities in infrastructure expansion, industrialization, healthcare modernization, agriculture, education, digital transformation and technology transfer.
With preparations now intensifying ahead of the India-Africa Forum Summit IV in New Delhi, expectations remain high that the engagement will open new pathways for strategic cooperation, trade expansion and sustainable economic growth between India, Sierra Leone and the broader African continent.
