By Mary Kabay
The Japan Ambassador to Sierra Leone on the 3rd March 2022 has showcased Japan’s support to bilateral and multilateral projects in Sierra Leone during an engagement with key stakeholders that was held at the Radisson Blu Hotel Conference Hall at Aberdeen in Freetown.
The objective of the event was to highlight the level of Japan’s economic and development cooperation with Sierra Leone as over the years the country has benefited significantly from economic and technical cooperation and support from the Government of Japan.
It was underscored that assistances are given mainly in the forms of grant and technical assistance. Some of the projects highlighted were and some still supported by the Japan Government through UN Agencies, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and other partners in Sierra Leone mainly from 2019 to 2022
The Ambassador of Japan to Sierra Leone, His Excellency, Mochizuki Hisanobu, in his presentation stated that he was pleased to be with all dignitaries during the event before making mention of the projects the Government of Japan and international organizations it has partnership with have implemented and still continue to implement in Sierra Leone between 2019 and 2022.
He said for the past three years Japan has implemented many projects through International Organizations, mainly UN Agencies in Sierra Leone. He, however, lamented that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they have not had enough time to promote the projects here.
He mentioned that the projects were implemented across several policy domains and are expected to complement the national policies of Sierra Leone that seeks to make meaningful progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
The Ambassador said some of the projects have helped to increase access to health services since the COVID-19 pandemic started. In the areas of agriculture and food security, he stated that some of the projects have helped to build the capacity of smallholder farmers and introduced initiatives to reduce the impact COVID-19 had on food security in vulnerable households.
He furthered that to effectively prevent the spread of the pandemic across borders some of the projects have helped to strengthen health systems in several points of entry in Sierra Leone.
“There were also projects in other sectors like energy, education, infrastructure, women empowerment, child protection, gender-based services and partnership with the private sector which were somehow affected,” he revealed.
He climaxed his address by reiterating that the projects are a reflection of the extraordinary alliance and deep friendship between Japan and Sierra Leone disclosing how the amount expended on those projects is around 70 Million US Dollars equivalent to 7.8 Billion Japanese yen.
The Ambassador revealed that Japan’s own development efforts is attributed to investments they made over the years in human security related projects. He said that is why the objective of most of their ODA initiatives such as the projects they are showcasing is to promote the concept of human security.
“As we have continuously advocated for through TICAD, Japan will continue to focus on international dialogue with Africa through mobilizing the necessary support to implement projects towards promoting sustainable development,” His Excellency Mochizuki Hisanobu concluded maintaining how they use Japanese expertise to work alongside international partners in order to enhance the status of the projects and made mention of an upcoming project which will be implemented by UNFPA.
Babatunde Ahonsi, UN Resident Coordinator in Sierra Leone, thanked His Excellency Ambassador Mochizuki, and the Embassy of Japan for inviting him to speak at the event highlighting Japan’s Economic and Development Cooperation in Sierra Leone, and also extended warm greetings to all Government and development partners in attendance.
He said as a multi-lateral organization, the United Nations and its member States have unbounded potential to work together towards peace and development around the globe.
The UN Resident Coordinator said both Sierra Leone and Japan were among the 193 countries that committed to Agenda 2030 and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. He continued that since making that pledge, both countries have demonstrated their ongoing commitment to SDG realization. He said in Sierra Leone, the country has adopted the Medium-Term National Development Plan, rooted in the SDGs, and regularly evaluates its progress toward the actualization of the goals through a Voluntary National Review.
He also pointed out that Japan has demonstrated its commitment to the implementation of the SDGs not only through domestic efforts but also through development cooperation programmes with a range of countries, including Sierra Leone.
The Coordinator stated how Japan’s range of programmes represents the true spirit of SDG 17 — Partnerships for the goals. He said somehow distinct from the others, the overarching SDG 17 has catalytic potential to accelerate all other SDGs.
He said among the targets under Goal 17, one will find the following objectives for global actors: Effective and targeted capacity building support to developing countries to support national plans to implement the SDGs, and Multi-stakeholder partnerships that mobilize and share knowledge, expertise, technology, and financial resources, to support achievement of the SDGs in all countries, particularly developing countries.
The UN Coordinator said seeing through the presentations of the range and depth of Japan’s cooperation with Sierra Leone it truly fulfils the aspirations of SDG 17 as it encompasses Japanese official development assistance, private sector investment, and NGO partnerships, implemented in collaboration with Governments, local communities, the UN Country team and other partners.
In his presentations he highlighted how Japan’s support has made possible UN work in critical areas including, but not limited to: Crisis Response, School Feeding, COVID-19 Response, Youth Empowerment, and Social Cohesion within communities.
He revealed that Japan is a key funding partner of the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework, the four-year, joint development cooperation programme between the UN Country Team and the Government of Sierra Leone.
A presentation of Japanese funded projects through the following international organizations climaxed the event: Planned Parenthood Association of Sierra Leone (IPPASL), International Organization for Migration (IOM), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), United Nations Population Fund(UNFPA), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), World Food Programme (WFP), United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and United Nations Development Program (UNDP).
When are we going to give aid and grants to other countries? We are always receiving, thus our stagnation. The Bible does not lie. It is stated that “Blessed are the Giver”. The receiver is not bless because his/her blessing goes to the Giver. Africa and Sierra Leone in particular, wake up and stop receiving more curse than blessings.