By Alvin Lansana Kargbo

The President of the OPEC Fund for International Development, Dr. Abdulhamid Alkhalifa, has pledged support for the construction of a Cancer Centre in Sierra Leone, while reaffirming the institution’s broader commitment to strengthening the country’s agriculture, energy and economic resilience.

Dr. Abdulhamid Alkhalifa made the commitment during a high-level meeting with His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio at the OPEC Fund Headquarters on Friday, April 10, 2026, in Vienna, Austria, where both leaders reviewed the progress of ongoing cooperation and explored new strategic investment opportunities.

Welcoming President Bio and his delegation, Dr. Abdulhamid Alkhalifa expressed satisfaction over the growing partnership between Sierra Leone and the OPEC Fund. He noted that the meeting provided an important opportunity to assess the gains made since the successful 2024 Vienna Roundtable, which laid the foundation for several transformative development initiatives.

A key highlight of the discussions was the proposed Cancer Centre for Sierra Leone. Dr. Abdulhamid Alkhalifa disclosed that the OPEC Fund, in partnership with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), is already supporting efforts to expand radiotherapy access in countries with limited or no treatment facilities. He cited the Democratic Republic of Congo as one of the countries already benefiting from the collaboration, underscoring the Fund’s readiness to extend similar support to Sierra Leone.

Senior OPEC Fund officials also provided updates on major pipeline projects that have advanced since the 2024 Roundtable. Among them is the Livestock and Livelihoods Development Project (LLDP), which has secured US$30 million in approved financing. Another flagship initiative, the Kambia Special Agro-Processing Zone (SAPZ), has received US$50 million in approval, while the US$50 million Bumbuna Hydro Project is currently awaiting Board approval. In addition, the Fund is reviewing the pre-feasibility study for the proposed Kambia-Kychom road project, a move expected to further improve trade connectivity and agricultural market access.

In a further boost to Sierra Leone’s regional economic ambitions, Dr. Abdulhamid Alkhalifa assured President Bio of the Fund’s willingness to support the West African Integration and Investment Summit scheduled for October this year. He also pledged support to help Sierra Leone cushion the economic shocks arising from the ongoing conflict in the Gulf region, particularly its effects on global oil and fertilizer supply chains.

Responding, President Bio commended the OPEC Fund’s leadership and thanked Dr. Abdulhamid Alkhalifa for the enduring partnership, especially the co-hosting of the 2024 Vienna Roundtable, which generated an impressive US$850 million in pledges, including a US$260 million new Country Partnership Strategy for Sierra Leone.

Addressing the broader economic challenges, President Bio highlighted the severe global consequences of the Gulf conflict, noting that disruptions to key energy supply routes have pushed oil prices to record highs, intensified inflationary pressures across transport, electricity and industrial production, and significantly increased fertilizer costs for agriculture.

He warned that for developing countries such as Sierra Leone, which has made notable strides toward macroeconomic stability and economic growth, those external shocks threaten to undermine hard-earned gains, widen fiscal deficits and worsen the cost-of-living burden on citizens.

Since the 2024 Vienna Roundtable, approximately 43 percent of the total US$850 million in pledges, equivalent to US$370 million, has already been translated into concrete investments, with projects either under implementation or in advanced stages of preparation.

The OPEC Fund President’s pledge to support the Cancer Centre is particularly significant, as it directly reinforces President Bio’s longstanding vision to establish a modern oncology treatment facility in Sierra Leone. The project, which has faced delays due to financing constraints, now appears to have received a major boost, raising renewed hope for improved cancer diagnosis and treatment services in the country.

The development marks another major milestone in Sierra Leone’s international development partnerships and signals growing confidence in the country’s healthcare, infrastructure and economic transformation agenda under President Bio’s leadership. https://thecalabashnewspaper.com/opec-fund-to-support-construction-of-cancer-centre-strengthen-agric-and-energy-resilience/