Friday, 25 July 2025



President Bio Welcomes Gates Foundation, IFAD & Partners to Bolster Agricultural Transformation
President Dr. Julius Maada Bio has on 23 July 2025 welcomed a high-level delegation from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and other key partners in a show of strong international support for Sierra Leone’s flagship agricultural initiative, Feed Salone.

The delegation included Donald Brown, Associate Vice President of IFAD; Enoch Chikava, Director of Agricultural Delivery Systems at the Gates Foundation; representatives from the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) and the Africa Agriculture Transformation Initiative (AATI) led by McKinsey & Company.

During the courtesy call at State House, Enoch Chikava commended President Bio’s leadership and vision, particularly his Government's commitment to food security and agricultural transformation through the Feed Salone programme.

“We are impressed by the direction your Government is taking,” Enoch Chikava said. “Development cannot be orchestrated from outside. The country must have its own capacity to deliver its goals. That is why we are here; to support local capacity building and work hand in hand with Sierra Leone to make Feed Salone a success.”

Enoch Chikava lauded the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security for its leadership and reaffirmed the Gates Foundation’s readiness to collaborate more deeply in strengthening Sierra Leone’s agricultural value chains.

Echoing those sentiments, IFAD’s Donald Brown praised President Bio’s efforts to prioritize agriculture as a driver of national development. “Sierra Leone is charting a new course and IFAD stands ready to align with your vision. Agriculture can truly serve as a regional economic powerhouse through ECOWAS and Sierra Leone is showing the leadership needed in that space,” Donald Brown stated.

In his response, President Bio expressed appreciation for the visit and for the continued partnership from international development actors. He reiterated that agriculture remains central to his administration’s development agenda not just as a means to ensure food security but also as a key sector for creating jobs, reducing poverty and enhancing revenue generation.

He informed the delegation about the establishment of a Presidential Council on Agriculture, describing it as a strategic mechanism to fast-track the implementation of Feed Salone and ensure inter-sectoral coordination at the highest level.

“We are ambitious and deliberate in our approach,” the President said. “We cannot do this alone. That is why we value strategic partnerships with institutions like the Gates Foundation, IFAD, AGRA and McKinsey’s AATI. We need the private sector and technical partners to bring their expertise to the table to help us achieve our national goals.”

President Bio also emphasized the importance of modernizing agricultural practices and embedding food security in Sierra Leone’s national culture. “Agriculture must move from traditional to mechanized and data-driven systems. We must empower our farmers with knowledge, tools and market access to transform the sector,” he added.

He concluded by assuring the visiting partners of his Government’s unwavering political will to ensure the successful implementation of Feed Salone and expressed deep gratitude for their support and collaboration.

The visit marks a significant step in strengthening multi-stakeholder cooperation in Sierra Leone’s agriculture sector, which remains a top priority for the Bio-led administration as it seeks to build resilience, boost productivity and enhance rural livelihoods. https://thecalabashnewspaper.com/president-bio-welcomes-gates-foundation-ifad-partners-to-bolster-agricultural-transformation/

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