AYV News, June 24, 2025
A senior World Bank delegation has concluded a week-long working mission to Sierra Leone, held from Monday, June 16 to Friday, June 20, 2025. The visit was coordinated through the World Bank Country Office in Freetown. The team assessed the status of ongoing projects and monitor progress on key policy indicators required for the country’s access to budgetary support under the Bank’s Development Policy Operations (DPO).
Throughout their stay, the team held extensive engagements with several Departments and Agencies, including the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA), which successfully delivered on its result indicators for 2024. The result indicators include the development of three national documents – the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), the National Disaster Risk Management Policy, and the National Disaster Preparedness, Response, and Recovery Plan. These documents are critical to strengthening Sierra Leone’s disaster management framework.
For 2025, the World Bank mission also reviewed progress on newly assigned result indicators. The NDMA was tasked with two key deliverables: the development and approval of District Emergency Preparedness and Response Plans, and the creation of a District Early Warning System (DEWS). In collaboration with the Sierra Leone Meteorological Agency and the National Water Resources Management Authority, the three institutions have made significant strides in developing the DEWS, with multiple joint technical meetings and a solid implementation plan already in motion.
According to the World Bank team, the completion and Cabinet approval of the two result indicators mentioned above, will not only enhance national resilience but also trigger eligibility for emergency funds under the Catastrophic Deferred Drawdown Option (Cat DDO), a special funding mechanism designed to support countries immediately during disaster events.
The World Bank delegation also conducted a field visit to the proposed site in Hastings for the construction of a modern Emergency Operations Center and NDMA headquarters, which would be funded under the Resilient Urban Sierra Leone Project (RUSLP). Detailed technical discussions were held with the senior management of the NDMA to ensure the design of the headquarters and operating procedures of the EOC align with global best practices and meet international standards.
The mission concluded with a high-level debriefing held in the office of Sierra Leone’s Financial Secretary, Mathew Dingie at George Street, Freetown. During the briefing, Francis Samson Nkoka, the World Bank Technical Team Lead, expressed satisfaction with the commitment displayed by various MDAs. “We are pleased with the level of coordination and commitment demonstrated across institutions. If things continues like this, Sierra Leone will likely meet most of its implementation milestones ahead of schedule,” he stated.
Lt. Gen. (Rtd) Brima Sesay, Director General of NDMA, welcomed the positive assessment and reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to building resilience. “This mission has been both encouraging and instructive. At NDMA, we understand the urgency of disaster preparedness, and we remain committed to transforming our systems in ways that protect lives and properties,” he emphasized.
Financial Secretary, Mathew Dingie, commended the collaboration between the Government and the World Bank, noting that the World Bank’s support to Sierra Leone is crucial for national development. “I’m very pleased with the corporation of all the MDAs that are involved. The collaboration between MDAs and the World Bank is yielding tangible outcomes, and we remain confident that with continued focus, Sierra Leone will exceed expectations in delivering on all the result indicators. I therefore encourage all of you, especially heads of MDAs, to remain committed to the development of the result indicators for each of you, within the required timeframe,” he remarked.
