The European Union has committed €245 million to support programmes in Sierra Leone for the period 2021 to 2024.
This was disclosed by the Head of Delegation of the European Union in Sierra Leone, Ambassador Manuel Alexander Muller, to the media during a press lunch in Freetown on Wednesday February 16, 2022. This amount is reflected in the recently adopted Multi-Annual Indicative Programme (MIP) document that outlines the EU’s partnership and cooperation with Sierra Leone for the period 2021-2027.
The MIP, which is aligned with Sierra Leone’s Medium-term National Development Plan 2019-2023, was adopted in December 2021.
“The quality and performance of the partnership during the first period will determine the full amount that will be mobilized during the second stage, up to 2027,” Ambassador Muller said, adding that the EU will continue to be a strong and committed partner of Sierra Leone
The partnership and cooperation between the EU and Sierra Leone for the next few years, under the new MIP, according to Ambassador Muller, will focus on green economy, human development, Democratic and Inclusive Governance, Human Rights, Gender Equality and Women Empowerment
On Green economy, the Head of Delegation said, programmes would foster the creation of decent jobs, as well as sustainable, inclusive, green economic transformation; increasing access to modern, sustainable, employment-oriented agriculture and fisheries food systems for health and nutrition; and support sustainable management and protection of terrestrial and marine ecosystems and biodiversity.
He said, “Expected results include an additional 5MW installed generation capacity to get access to electricity.”
On Human Development, the Ambassador said the EU will invest in basic and secondary education and technical and vocational education and training (TVET), improving the quality of literacy and numeracy, skills and qualifications of the population; enhancing social protection to reduce vulnerabilities and sustain growth. Expected results include increasing the percentage of boys and girls enrolling in secondary school and improvement in the completion rate.
The EU will also support peaceful, inclusive, transparent and credible elections; support government’s effectiveness and public service delivery at national and local level. In addition, the EU will support economic governance to underpin sustainable economic and social policies by strengthening public fiancé management, transparency and domestic resources mobilization.
The expected results from this include reducing the proportion of the natural population living in absolute poverty.
“The EU is confident that the areas prioritised in the Multi- Annual indicative Programme (MIP) 2021-2027 will support Sierra Leone’s pathway towards broad-based and robust economic growth, sustainable development and prosperity,” Ambassador Muller said.
“The EU will continue to support Sierra Leone to conduct peaceful, transparent, inclusive and credible elections, and will provide technical and financial assistance to the NEC and other political and electoral management bodies,” Ambassador Muller said, while informing the media about the publication of the EU Election Follow-up Mission report in Brussels earlier in the day.
