The Honourable Vice President of Sierra Leone Dr Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh on Tuesday 21st February, 2023 received a delegation from Christian Aid.
The delegation is in the country to access the organisation’s programmes since 2018 and is led by the Chief Executive Officer Patrick Watt.
The Vice President disclosed that President Julius Maada Bio’s development agenda focuses on human capital development.
He noted that the human capital development portfolio is centered around education, health and food production with gender mainstreaming; in addition to accountability and transparency.
He described the work of Christian Aid as a reflection of Government human capital development in Sierra Leone. The courtesy meeting was held in the Vice President’s Office, Tower Hill in Freetown.
Vice President Jalloh explained that the reason Government is focusing on human capital development is because President Bio believed that human capital development is the key to unleash the development potential of Sierra Leone.
He further explained about Government of Sierra Leone taking third position in the world after Finland and Sweden because of its allocation of 22% budget to education.
He narrated the appointment of President Bio to serve as Global Champion on education and Co-Chair to the United Nations Secretary General on Global Education Transformation Agenda as some of the positive result of Government spending on education.
Dr Jalloh disclosed about the increased of health budget from 6-11.7% from 2018 to now, recruitment of over six thousand additional healthcare workers, training and building of new mid-wifey schools as some of the progress made in the health sector.
He maintained that Government investment focus in health is primary health care that caters for maternal and infant mortality in Sierra Leone.
Food production, the Honourable Vice President explains, is another priority of Government. He stated that the objective of Government in the agricultural sector is to reduce the country’s dependency on food from outside, and to build national food capacity to ensure price control.
He said that Government is supporting farmers especially women through agricultural programmes, and decentralised agricultural system through the distribution of agricultural machineries in districts across Sierra Leone for easy access by farmers. He explained that the decentralization of agricultural machineries has increased domestic food production to a larger extent.
Vice President Jalloh updated the delegation about the progressive passing of the Millennium Challenge Corporation in the past four years in the areas of governance, rule of law, fighting corruption, and institutional building.
He explained about the increase score in the control and fight against corruption, thereby making Sierra Leone one of the few Sub Sahara countries doing well in that area.
He told the Christian Aid team that President Bio has undertaken policy reforms that enhance women empowerment. Dr Jalloh revealed the enactment and recent signing of the Gender Empowerment Act by President Bio that guarantees a more pronounced role of women in both appointive and selective positions.
He stressed on the need for intermediary organization that will encourage women participation in governance. He expressed Government willingness for strategic partnership and collaboration. He encouraged the Head of Christian Aid to expand work to more districts, and expand activities in their existing operational districts.
Christian Aid has contributed to Government commitment to increase and improve to citizens through work on accountability, public financial management, support to women, and climate change in Sierra Leone.
