IsDB Signs $38M Agreement with GoSL to Boost Livestock & Livelihoods.

By Marian Tina Conteh

The Islamic Development Bank and the Government of Sierra Leone have signed a $38 million project to develop livestock livelihoods. The project aims to reduce poverty, enhance food security and nutrition for 60,000 households, and create employment opportunities for rural women and youth in Sierra Leone. This significant signing took place during the 2025 Annual Meetings of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group in Algeria. The Minister of Finance for Sierra Leone,

H.E. Sheku Ahmed Bangura stated that the total project cost is $ 107,345,485, of which the IsDB provided $ 38,185,485, and IFAD and OPEC Fund will provide the rest. According to Mr. Bangura, the funding is not the first support that Sierra Leone has received from the IsDB, as there are over $200 million in projects funded by the IsDB.Speaking on the theme of this year's Annual Meetings, "Diversifying Economies, Enriching Lives," Mr. Bangura noted that it resonates with Sierra Leone's big five changers, and receiving funding like this will enrich the lives of women and young people in the country.

In a forum discussion on transforming lives and livelihoods, Sierra Leone's Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Henry Musa Kpaka, highlighted how the Lives and Livelihoods Fund (LLF) innovative projects have diversified income sources, built profitable infrastructure, strengthened sustainable health, and empowered communities. Mr. Kpaka spoke about how the government has created opportunities and empowered women by training nearly 200 women as tractor drivers and working on policies that provide an environment that enables them to access land and finance, as women are the most involved in farming activities in Serra Leone. On 24th June 2024, the Government of Sierra Leone and the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), in a meeting in the Austrian capital Vienna, partnered to boost the country's socioeconomic development. This was a discussion between President Julius Maada Bio and IsDB Group Chairman Dr. Al Jasser.

The IsDB's President, Dr. Al Jasser, during that meeting, noted the Group's readiness to support Sierra Leone in implementing its Medium-Term National Development Plan 2024-2030, titled "A Transformative Acceleration Agenda for Food Security, Human Capital Development, and Job Creation." He added that the two parties agreed that stronger and enhanced cooperation between the IsDB Group and Sierra Leone should focus more on bilateral and regional initiatives, particularly in the sectors of agriculture and infrastructure. This finally became a reality during the 2025 IsDB Group Annual Meeting in Algeria. The IsDB Group's total financing of Sierra Leone since joining the Bank in 1982 amounts to USD 351 million. This includes 79 projects (out of which 62 are completed and 17 are under implementation) covering various economic and social development sectors. At the closing press conference of the 2025 Annual Meetings, the IsDB Group

Chairman, Dr. Al Jasser, disclosed that they had signed more than 70 agreements totaling nearly US$ 5 billion with 26 member countries and several regional institutions. He said these agreements cover critical sectors and reaffirmed their determination to deliver concrete, high-impact development solutions. He stated, "Over this week, we hosted numerous high-level meetings, the flagship Private Sector Forum, and more than 10 side events featuring eminent thought leaders, academics, and development practitioners. We welcomed more than 4000 participants, representing 89 countries and 70 institutions.’