Vice President of Sierra Leone, Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh, has called for a bold transformation in Africa’s development financing strategy, urging a decisive move away from heavy reliance on traditional aid toward stronger domestic revenue generation and private sector-led investment.
Speaking on behalf of President Julius Maada Bio at a high-level side event during the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FFD4) in Seville, Spain, Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh outlined a comprehensive vision for Sierra Leone’s economic future centered on sustainable financing and sectoral reforms.
The side event, organized by the advocacy platform Global Citizen Now, brought together international development actors, Government officials and private sector leaders to address the critical financing gaps confronting the Global South. Under the theme: “Strengthening Domestic Resource Mobilization in Sierra Leone: Scaling up Mineral Wealth Management and Promoting Innovative Agritech Farms,” Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh presented Sierra Leone’s ambitious plans to boost domestic revenue through strategic transformation of its mining and agricultural sectors.
Highlighting Sierra Leone’s wealth of minerals including diamonds, gold, bauxite and iron ore, Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh emphasized that the true benefit of those resources depends on good governance, transparency and value addition. “What matters is governance,” he stated firmly.
He detailed the Government’s bold reforms aimed at building a mining industry that is inclusive, accountable and contributes meaningfully to education, health and infrastructure development. “We extend an open invitation to investors worldwide to partner with us in creating a mining sector that delivers shared prosperity,” he added.
Turning to agriculture, which employs the majority of Sierra Leone’s population, Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh described a dynamic shift from traditional small-scale farming to modern, technology-driven agribusiness. He highlighted innovations such as drone-assisted land mapping, digital farm platforms, precision irrigation and climate-smart devices as key drivers of a new era of productivity.
The Vice President underscored the vital role of youths and women in agriculture and encouraged investment across the entire value chain; from production to processing and export. “We welcome visionary partners to co-invest in unlocking the full potential of Sierra Leone’s agricultural sector,” he said.
Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh stressed that effective domestic resource mobilization requires more than just taxation; it calls for creating a robust business environment supported by innovative financing mechanisms. Sierra Leone is actively exploring blended finance models to de-risk private investment, green and blue bonds for sustainability projects and a diaspora investment framework to attract capital from abroad.
“Our capacity to finance our development must begin at home,” he asserted during a multi-stakeholder roundtable he co-chaired with Estonia’s President Alar Karis. The session focused on practical strategies to increase public funding for critical sectors such as health, education, renewable energy and women’s empowerment.
Speaking on the importance of strengthening tax systems, boosting regional trade and enhancing accountability, Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh urged Governments across the Global South to broaden their tax bases and build public trust. “We must improve compliance and build confidence in our institutions to create resilient economies,” he explained. He praised the roundtable discussions as “vibrant and forward-thinking” and credited participants for producing actionable recommendations to support sustainable development.
Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh’s interventions at FFD4 showcased Sierra Leone’s rising leadership in international development discourse, particularly in advocating for self-reliant, equity-driven and sustainable financing frameworks. His message aligns with a broader continental push to recalibrate Africa’s development trajectory toward greater resilience and inclusive growth amid a challenging global environment. The Vice President’s call for reforms and innovative partnerships reflects a deep commitment to securing a prosperous future not only for Sierra Leone, but for the entire continent.