The Five-Year Country Strategy Paper targets infrastructure development and agricultural transformation to accelerate the path to middle-income economy
ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast, October 16, 2025/ — The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank Group (www.AfDB.org) has approved a new Country Strategy Paper (CSP) for Sierra Leone for 2025–2030, committing approximately $500 million over the next five years to foster sustainable economic growth, strengthen resilience to fragility, and promote inclusive development.
The strategy is built around two key priorities: developing sustainable infrastructure to enhance private sector competitiveness and supporting agricultural value-chain development to boost job creation and food security. These focus areas directly target Sierra Leone’s core development challenges, notably infrastructure gaps, limited private sector value addition, and high vulnerability to climate change.
With an estimated $2.1 billion in total financing, including co-financing from development partners, the CSP aligns with the government’s National Development Plan (2021–2025) and Vision 2030, which aim to position Sierra Leone as a middle-income economy.
Flagship infrastructure initiatives will focus on expanding renewable energy generation, increasing electricity access from 41% in 2024 to 60% by 2030—alongside upgrading climate-resilient road networks and improving water and sanitation systems to provide an additional 1.2 million people with access to safe drinking water.
The agricultural component prioritizes agro-industrial transformation, aiming to reduce food import dependency, currently at 70% for staple crops like rice, while creating over 500,000 jobs, particularly for women and youth, through support for small and medium-sized enterprises.
Sierra Leone’s economy has demonstrated resilience with real GDP growth averaging 6.7% from 2020-2024, driven by the agriculture and services sectors. The new strategy builds on this momentum and leverages the Bank’s existing portfolio of 10 ongoing projects worth $150 million, which have already improved road connectivity and energy access.
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