Salone gears up for the Regional Investment Summit
ABERDEEN, FREETOWN, Wednesday, 21 October 2026
Sierra Leone is preparing to host a major regional investment summit aimed at connecting West African projects with investors, financial institutions and strategic partners. The Special Envoy for the West Africa Integration and Investment Summit (WAIIS), Hon. Dr. Kandeh K. Yumkella, has launched the summit’s local media campaign, calling on the media to help communicate the opportunities the event presents for Sierra Leone and the wider ECOWAS region.
Scheduled for 17–18 November 2026, WAIIS is expected to bring together investors, business leaders and Heads of State to advance investment, regional trade and economic integration.
Dr. Yumkella, who is also Chairman of the Presidential Initiative on Climate Change, Renewable Energy and Food Security (PI-CREF), said the summit was built around a straightforward principle: when West African countries trade, build and invest together, their economies have greater opportunities to grow. He noted that His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio prioritised regional economic integration during his tenure as Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government.
“WAIIS is not a pledging conference. It is an investment conference where private and public sector institutions have designed projects, and bankers and investment institutions are ready to invest in them,” Dr. Yumkella said.
Highlighting early investment interest, he cited the Gento Group’s port project at Kent and Banana Island as an example of investment activity associated with WAIIS, noting that the project is expected to advance towards completion once the outstanding processes have been concluded.
Dr. Yumkella also briefed media stakeholders on preparations for the summit and its four thematic pillars, explaining that they were designed to focus attention on investment opportunities in sectors critical to economic growth and regional integration across West Africa.
He further disclosed that, WAIIS had established a Private Sector Advisory Board comprising prominent African business leaders, including Tony Elumelu, CEO of Heirs Holding, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, CEO of Dangote Group, alongside other influential business figures from across the continent, adding that these business leaders are expected to participate in the summit, alongside an anticipated five to seven Heads of State.
Minister of Planning and Economic Development, Madam Kenyeh Barlay, said several Sierra Leonean projects had already been included in the WAIIS Deal Rooms, where they would be presented to potential investors. She emphasized that the summit aligned with Sierra Leone’s development priorities and efforts to mobilise investment for national growth.
Minister of Energy, Mr. Cyril Grant, highlighted the potential contribution of energy-related projects associated with WAIIS to expanding Sierra Leone’s electricity generation capacity. He pointed to the ongoing Nant Energy Project in Kissy as one of the initiatives relevant to the country’s energy development ambitions.
Minister of Communication, Technology and Innovation, Ms. Salima Bah, described WAIIS as timely and strategically important, noting that several projects featured in the Deal Rooms, including those from Sierra Leone, had already attracted serious interest from potential investors.
The President of the Sierra Leone Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Robin Coker, said WAIIS could accelerate economic growth in Sierra Leone and across the wider West African region, explaining that private sector participation would be important in supporting investments and ensuring that projects deliver sustainable economic benefits. He also commended WAIIS leadership for ensuring that Sierra Leonean businesses and projects were represented in the Deal Rooms.
“We believe that WAIIS will give a boost and speed to not only Sierra Leone’s economy, but the wider West African countries,” Mr. Coker said.
Joseph Ngana, Chief Operating Officer of WAIIS, who oversees the projects featured in the Deal Rooms, said the summit had assembled a pipeline of investment opportunities designed to connect project proponents with prospective financiers and investors.
“We are going to have such an impressive summit with zero glitches, that everybody will want to come back to Sierra Leone for more investment talks,” Mr. Ngana assured stakeholders.
The launch of the local media campaign marks an important step in preparing Sierra Leoneans and the wider business community for WAIIS 2026, with the media expected to play a key role in communicating the summit’s objectives, investment opportunities and potential benefits for regional economic cooperation.
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