AYV News, November 11, 2026
Sierra Leone’s Minister of Fisheries, Princess Dugba, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Ningbo Fenghua District Urban Development and Construction Group Co. Ltd. on behalf of the Government of Sierra Leone to strengthen cooperation in fisheries development and fish harbour management.
The agreement was signed during a working visit by Minister Dugba to Ningbo City in the People’s Republic of China. It focuses on cooperation in the fisheries sector, particularly the management of a fish harbour currently under construction in Sierra Leone.
As part of her visit, the Minister toured a major fish port managed by Ningbo Fenghua Group, which was described during the engagement as the world’s largest fish port and reported to handle 744 million metric tonnes of cargo.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Minister Dugba said the fish harbour under construction in Sierra Leone is a project supported by the Chinese Government. She explained that engaging experienced fish port managers ahead of its completion would be an important step towards ensuring its effective operation.
She further expressed interest in having the Chinese group involved in managing the facility, citing its experience in fish port management. According to the Minister, such cooperation would not only support the development of Sierra Leone’s fisheries infrastructure but also strengthen the longstanding bilateral relationship between Sierra Leone and China, which spans more than 55 years.
Ambassador Karim, who initiated the engagement with the Ningbo group, witnessed the signing ceremony and expressed satisfaction that discussions had advanced to the agreement stage.
He also invited representatives of the Chinese group to visit Sierra Leone at the earliest opportunity, noting that the proposed cooperation would help the country better harness its marine resources and improve the management of its fisheries sector.
The Mayor of Ningbo, who also witnessed the ceremony, welcomed the agreement, describing it as a reflection of the shared vision of the leaders of Sierra Leone and China following their meeting during the 2024 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Summit.
The agreement marks a further step in efforts to deepen Sierra Leone-China cooperation, particularly in fisheries infrastructure, technical expertise and the sustainable management of the country’s marine resources. It also signals an intention to draw on international experience as Sierra Leone prepares to operationalise its new fish harbour.
