The Chief’s Diary: Launching a $2 million Sierra Leone Agricultural Transformation Office in Kigali ($142m commited for Feed Salone)

The team from Sierra Leone at this year's Africa Food Systems Forum in Kigali has been exceptional. Under the leadership of Minister Dr Musa Kpaka, they are returning home with incredible resources and partnerships to support delivery on President Bio's Feed Salone strategy. Earlier this evening, I had the distinguished honor to officially launch the Agriculture Transformation Office in the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security. This is the second of its kind being supported by Gates Foundation, IFAD, McKinsey, and other partners through the African Agricultural Transformation Initiative. This effort will support the ministry to Innovate, Accelerate, and Scale for Feed Salone. 11 technical staff will be hired for 3 years, among other things. Read more about feed Salone at www.feedsalone.gov.sl At the start of the summit at the Sierra Leone Country Deal Room, $100m was pledged by AfDB to support our government's ambitious efforts. Tonight, a VP of one of our partners came to tell me two things- 1. To ex pect a $40m approval for a project submitted for evaluation by the Ministry and 2. Verbal approval to extend a project by the Ministry. He said he ordinarily never allows this, but thanks to the leadership and commitment from Sierra Leone, they would consider favorably accepting the request. Listen, that's $142m in pledges and approved financing from one event. But that's still not enough. In the last year alone, the Ministry of Agriculture has been able to raise $200m towards Feed Salone. The government has doubled its budget support and aims to reach 10% next year. But we are still $1.6b short. We will continue to engage, raise funds, work hard, build partnerships, and plant seeds that will grow to feed our people. Source: Sierra Leone News Agency