AYV News, September 10, 2026
The newly appointed Executive Chairman of the Conservation Trust Fund (CTF), Ahmid C. Jalloh, and members of his senior management team have paid a courtesy call on the Director General of the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA), John Vandy Rogers, to strengthen collaboration and partnership between the two institutions.
The meeting, held at the NDMA’s headquarters with the senior management teams of both institutions, focused on strengthening institutional cooperation, particularly in biodiversity protection, data sharing, enforcement interventions and resource mobilization.
While making his statement, Mr. Jalloh outlined some of CTF’s priorities under his leadership, saying the institution is currently working to harmonize its policy documents as part of efforts to strengthen its legal and institutional framework.
He also disclosed that CTF is preparing to roll out biodiversity offset mapping in key protected areas, including Yawri Bay, the Western Area Peninsula and the Sierra Leone River Estuary.
According to him, the mapping exercise is intended to strengthen the protection and management of environmentally sensitive areas while providing better information to guide biodiversity-related interventions.
“We are currently looking at harmonizing our policy documents so that we can strengthen the legal framework of the Conservation Trust Fund and ensure that our work is properly guided by a strong institutional foundation,” Mr. Jalloh said.
He further identified data sharing, the development of data collection tools, and enforcement as key areas where CTF intends to work closely with NDMA, noting that reliable disaster and environmental data would also be important in supporting the mobilization of resources for national interventions.
Mr. Jalloh stressed that CTF would maintain a firm position on development activities within protected areas, particularly in relation to biodiversity offset certification.
“We will not issue biodiversity offset certificates for structures being constructed within protected areas. Our responsibility is to support the protection of these areas and ensure that development does not undermine our biodiversity and environmental assets,” he stated.
While responding, NDMA’s Director General John Vandy Rogers started by congratulating Mr. Jalloh on his recent appointment. Mr. Rogers said NDMA recognizes the importance of working with institutions such as CTF to strengthen national efforts in disaster risk reduction, environmental protection and resilience building.
He assured the CTF leadership of NDMA’s commitment to supporting areas of mutual interest, particularly through the sharing of data and technical information that could contribute to better planning and decision making.
“NDMA is committed to working closely with the Conservation Trust Fund to strengthen collaboration and ensure that our institutions complement each other in addressing the environmental challenges facing our country. There is a lot we can do together, particularly in the areas of data sharing, risk information and resource mobilization.” Mr. Rogers added.
Concluding the engagement, NDMA’s Deputy Director General, Sulaiman B. Sowa stressed on the importance of translating the discussions into practical institutional cooperation.
“This engagement provides an important opportunity for both institutions to identify areas where our mandates intersect and turn those areas into meaningful action. We look forward to building a practical and sustained partnership with CTF for the benefit of our environment, our communities and the wider resilience agenda of Sierra Leone,” Mr. Sowa said.
