The government of Sierra Leone has asked for the support of Islamic Development Bank (IDB) in agricultural development, road construction and post-Ebola recovery plan. The President of Sierra Leone Dr. Earmest Bai Koroma disclosed this when he received the President of IDB Dr. Bandar Hajjar at the Royal Guest House in Jeddah. President Koroma expressed his appreciation to IDB for its support during the Ebola crisis, as well as its intervention in various sectors of development like agriculture and roads construction. "Everyone in Sierra Leone knows about IsDB projects. With your support, Ebola is now history. But we are still grappling with its effect. One of the major reasons why I am here is to seek support due to the difficulty we are facing. We are now realizing the economic effect of Ebola. We need the support of multilateral institutions like IsDB to address our challenges," said President Koroma. The President of Sierra Leone further seeks the support of IsDB in the construction of the ring road project, and pilgrims that are currently facing some difficulties. Dr. Hajjar assured the President of Sierra Leone of IDB commitment to the country. He pledged to collaborate with the country in completing all ongoing projects. "IDB is ready to support Sierra Leone in promoting economic diversification through accelerated investment in infrastructure, promoting food security and connecting domestic value chains to global value chains. The IsDB Group is ready to extend support in tackling the binding constraints to growth, and leverage the power of the private sector to restore growth and build a competitive economy," Dr. Hajjar noted. Currently there are 11 active projects in Sierra Leone worth $145 million. IDB has executed projects worth $300 million since Sierra Leone joined the Bank in 1982. $6 million was dedicated to the fight against Ebola from Fael Khair program in addition to $300,000 humanitarian assistance in September 2014. — SG
