Shankerdas & Sons (SL) Limited has reaffirmed its commitment to promoting Sierra Leonean participation in the private sector following the signing of a Local Content Plan Implementation Agreement with the Sierra Leone Local Content Agency (SLLCA).

The agreement, signed in Freetown on Thursday, 29 October 2026, represents an important step towards strengthening local employment, improving technical skills, supporting women’s professional development and creating greater opportunities for Sierra Leonean businesses to participate in the country's economic activities.

The signing ceremony formed part of the Local Content Agency's ongoing efforts to ensure that companies operating in Sierra Leone translate their investment commitments into practical opportunities that directly benefit citizens and contribute to sustainable national development.

Speaking during the ceremony, the Administration Manager of G. Shankerdas & Sons (SL) Limited, Arjay Kumar, expressed appreciation to the Sierra Leone Local Content Agency for its continued engagement and partnership with the company.

He reaffirmed the company's determination to fulfil its obligations under the agreement while working towards strengthening the capacity of Sierra Leonean employees and improving operational efficiency.

Arjay Kumar acknowledged that developing a highly skilled local workforce remains essential to the company's long-term operations. However, he identified several challenges affecting industrial productivity and the development of technical expertise.

Among those challenges, he highlighted unreliable electricity supply, shortages of qualified mechanical and technical personnel and inadequate computer literacy among some prospective workers, particularly in areas requiring the operation of modern automated machinery.

He explained that such challenges demonstrate the importance of sustained investment in technical education, practical training and workforce development to prepare Sierra Leoneans for increasingly sophisticated industrial operations.

Despite those difficulties, G. Shankerdas & Sons (SL) Limited expressed its readiness to work closely with the Local Content Agency to identify practical solutions that would strengthen local capacity and create additional opportunities for Sierra Leonean professionals.

A particularly important aspect of the company's presentation was its commitment to women's empowerment.

Arjay Kumar drew attention to G. Shankerdas & Sons' dedicated women's programme, which seeks to promote inclusion, professional growth and greater participation of women within the company's operations.

The initiative reflects the company's recognition of the importance of creating an inclusive working environment where women can develop their abilities, improve their professional prospects and contribute meaningfully to industrial productivity.

For Sierra Leone, where expanding employment opportunities and developing specialized technical skills remain important national priorities, such commitments could contribute to strengthening the country's human capital.

Addressing the ceremony, the Director General of the Sierra Leone Local Content Agency, Fodeba Daboh, emphasized that local content implementation must produce measurable results rather than remain a commitment expressed only in signed agreements.

He explained that the Agency remains committed to supporting companies in meeting their responsibilities under the Local Content Agency Act, particularly in workforce localization, skills development, technology transfer and succession planning.

Fodeba Daboh also placed particular emphasis on local procurement and the need for established companies, including G. Shankerdas & Sons (SL) Limited, to create opportunities for Sierra Leonean businesses to participate more actively in their supply chains.

He stressed that strengthening local business participation is essential to ensuring that private-sector investments generate wider economic benefits beyond the companies directly involved.

Under the implementation agreement, G. Shankerdas & Sons (SL) Limited will be required to submit quarterly local content performance reports detailing progress towards its agreed commitments.

The company will also be subject to announced and unannounced monitoring exercises, annual local content audits and continuous engagement with the Agency to assess compliance and identify areas requiring improvement.

These measures are intended to promote transparency, accountability and consistent implementation of local content obligations.

The agreement with G. Shankerdas & Sons was signed on the same day that the Agency entered into a separate Local Content Plan Implementation Agreement with CESA SL Generation Ltd, trading as Nant Power.

At that ceremony, Nant Power's General Manager,  Abu Kamara, disclosed that the company employs approximately 670 workers, with women accounting for 20 per cent of its workforce. He further indicated that more than 40 personnel are involved in training local employees.

Nant Power's Executive Director, Karim Nasser, similarly reaffirmed the company's commitment to building local expertise and expanding employment opportunities in Sierra Leone's energy sector.

For G. Shankerdas & Sons (SL) Limited, the agreement provides a framework for strengthening cooperation with the Local Content Agency while addressing the practical challenges associated with workforce development, industrial operations and local procurement.

Its emphasis on technical skills, women's participation and compliance with national local content requirements is expected to remain central to the implementation process.

The development also highlights the growing importance of collaboration between regulatory institutions and private-sector operators in ensuring that industrial investments contribute to employment creation, knowledge transfer and the growth of indigenous businesses.

As implementation begins, attention will turn to how effectively G. Shankerdas & Sons (SL) Limited translates its commitments into measurable improvements in local employment, professional training, women's advancement and procurement opportunities for Sierra Leonean enterprises.

The Sierra Leone Local Content Agency has maintained that the ultimate measure of success will not be the number of agreements signed, but the tangible economic opportunities and lasting benefits delivered to Sierra Leoneans. https://thecalabashnewspaper.com/archives/65853