The Minister of Planning and Economic Development, Madam Kenyeh Barlay, officially launched a three-day stakeholder consultation for the ECOWAS Regional Fund for Stabilization and Development (FRSD) Technical Mission to Sierra Leone, describing the initiative as a major opportunity to tackle the root causes of fragility while promoting inclusive and sustainable development across vulnerable communities.
The consultation, which was held from 21 to 23 July 2026 at the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development Conference Hall in Freetown, brought together representatives from the ECOWAS Commission, the German Government, development partners, Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), local councils, Civil Society Organisations and other key stakeholders to identify priority investment areas aligned with Sierra Leone’s national development agenda.
The ECOWAS Regional Fund for Stabilization and Development, established by the ECOWAS Commission with financial support from Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), was designed to finance projects in basic social infrastructure, entrepreneurship, youth and women’s empowerment, governance, capacity development and social cohesion to strengthen resilience in fragile communities across West Africa.
Launching the consultations, Madam Kenyeh Barlay reaffirmed the Government of Sierra Leone’s commitment to ensuring the successful implementation of the programme. She stressed that all interventions should be fully aligned with the country’s Medium-Term National Development Plan (2024–2030) and the emerging Chiefdom Development Plans while responding directly to the development needs of local communities.
She called for the immediate establishment of the National Advisory Committee (NAC), warning that administrative delays and procurement bottlenecks should not hinder the implementation process.
“We already have our national development priorities and chiefdom planning process underway. Let us move with urgency, identify the bottlenecks early and ensure that this programme delivers visible results within the implementation period,” the Minister stated.
Madam Kenyeh Barlay further urged stakeholders to prioritize high-impact, community-driven investments capable of creating employment opportunities, strengthening local resilience and expanding access to essential public services. She emphasized the need to balance national priorities with the unique development challenges facing individual districts and chiefdoms.
Delivering the opening remarks, ECOWAS Resident Representative to Sierra Leone, H.E. John Azumah, disclosed that Sierra Leone had been selected as the newest beneficiary of the Fund during the 10th Steering Committee Meeting held in Banjul, The Gambia, in March 2026.
He explained that the technical mission marked the beginning of a collaborative planning process aimed at identifying national priorities and designing interventions that reflected the aspirations and development needs of the Sierra Leonean people.
Ambassador John Azumah commended the Government of Sierra Leone for its strong commitment to the initiative and praised the continued support provided by the Government of Germany, KfW Development Bank and GIZ in promoting peace, resilience and sustainable development across the ECOWAS region.
Representing the German Government, GIZ Country Director, Raphael Frerking, reaffirmed Germany’s commitment to supporting the successful implementation of the Fund in Sierra Leone. Drawing lessons from similar interventions in The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Benin and Togo, he stressed the importance of aligning investments with national priorities while concentrating resources on carefully selected projects capable of delivering measurable results within the implementation period.
During the consultation, officials from the Office of the Vice President of the ECOWAS Commission presented the Fund’s achievements in other beneficiary countries, highlighting investments in health facilities, vocational training centres, fish processing facilities, student accommodation, rice processing infrastructure and other community development projects.
The presentation also outlined the Fund’s financing framework, governance arrangements and the proposed implementation roadmap for Sierra Leone.
Stakeholders from various sector Ministries participated in extensive discussions on national development priorities, governance structures, gender mainstreaming, security considerations and the proposed composition of the National Advisory Committee. Participants emphasized the importance of strong national ownership, effective coordination and timely preparation to ensure implementation would begin immediately after the planning phase.
The three-day technical mission concluded with stakeholders agreeing on key steps towards developing Sierra Leone’s National Intervention Strategy under the ECOWAS Regional Fund for Stabilization and Development. Those included advancing preparations for a national implementation roadmap, identifying priority intervention areas, appointing sector focal points and initiating a comprehensive needs assessment to guide future implementation.
