Sierra Leone: Beauty still there after 19 years
- Posted on Friday 28 December 2007 - 09:48Ben Zwinkels (Photo: Ben Zwinkels and Sierra Leone President Ernest Koroma on his left)Sierra Leone at the West-Coast of Africa with its unique landscape, scenery and cultural heritage is waiting now to be explored. It has a coastal line of nearly 360 kilometers fringed with beautiful and un- spoilt white sandy beaches along the Atlantic Ocean.
The country offers investors and visitors its historic heritage, exotic flora and fauna, mountains and natural beauty. The tropical rain forest is home to some of the rare and endangered species of monkeys, baboons, birds, butterflies and a wide variety of antelope and buffalo families.
Sierra Leone was in past an important centre of the transatlantic trade in enslaved Africans. The capital Freetown was founded in 1787 by the Sierra Leone Company as a home for formerly enslaved African Americans who had fought for the British in the American Revolutionary War. In 1808, Freetown became a British Crown Colony, and in 1896, the interior of the country became a British Protectorate. The Crown Colony and Protectorate joined and gained independence in 1961.
FMO has been involved in this country in the 1970s with its financial support for a number of private sector projects. FMO has financed activities in agriculture, agricultural processing and in this respect especially the Eastern Clinic agricultural project of Dr. B.M. Kobba can be named. This medical doctor with 13 years of experience in Germany established an oil palm plantation and a processing plant in order to sustain primary health care in Sierra Leone. FMO supported this project, which I visited over 20 times between 1982 and 1989.
During the years 1991 to 2002 Sierra Leone was engulfed by serious political conflicts and civil war. It is believed that alleged pervasive corruption within the government and mismanagement of diamond resources are the main reasons why civil war broke out in Sierra Leone. With the breakdown of state structures and the effective suppression of civilian opposition, wide corridors were opened for trafficking of arms, ammunition and drugs, all of which eroded national and regional security and facilitated crime within the country and between Sierra Leone and Liberia and even Guinea.
Returning to Freetown after 19 years was an incredible experience. While scars of the civil strife are still visible but receding, the industry and determination of the people are ever so present and visible. Together with Mr. Steve Antwi Asimeng, the Managing Director of the Ghana Fidelity Capital Partners, we were indeed overwhelmed with the positive atmosphere and the determination of the people of Sierra Leone to rebuild the country and boost the economy. Following the peaceful free and fair elections in August, a new government led by Mr. Ernest Bai Koroma as President and Mr. Sam Sumana as Vice President, was sworn into a four-year term of office in September 2007. The new president has focused on creating a young and dynamic cabinet and a policy of “zero tolerance” in respect of corruption and embezzlement.
Sierra Leone is now a typical Post-War country in the construction phase. A lot has to be done to empower the people, to build infrastructure as roads, airports, and schools, energy and water supplies.
During our visit to the President of Sierra Leone, Mr. Koroma, he was clear and emphatic in his statement, that only by creating sustainable jobs for the youth and the population at large that Sierra Leone can build an acceptable future. The President especially mentioned the great need for building and improving accessibility to finance for the mass population and the creation of Micro Finance Institutions in rural areas of Sierra Leone. We have promised to further study opportunities in this respect.
With its political stability surely, the economy of Sierra Leone will grow. The IMF’s poverty reduction and growth facility will continue to shape an economic policy under the new government.
For FMO and its partners Fidelity and AfricInvest Financial Sector Fund more interesting opportunities are available in Sierra Leone, like banking, leasing, microfinance institutions, power generation and agricultural processing like palm oil and housing.
Sierra Leone must be rebuilt and the country wants to follow the good examples of some of its neighbors such as Ghana. Transparency, Good Governance and Zero Tolerance can only be obtained when Sierra Leone can closely work in strong partnership which is willing to support the new generation of young Africans building a new society.
Once again, Sierra Leone will be in the spotlight as an attractive country for foreign tourism with charming colorful people! Recently the Minister of Tourism and Cultural Affairs Mr. Hindolo Trye has emphasised that if the tourism industry wishes to succeed and play a meaningful role in the socio economic development of Sierra Leone, the private sector must serve as the engine of growth and play a pivotal role in the industry’s development and promotion.
Returning to Sierra Leone has convinced me that it is now time to invest in this country and support the private sector to grow. The President Mr. Koroma has promised to reinforce the public sector to enhance its capacity to facilitate foreign investments. You are invited to follow!
Ben Zwinkels is a Senior Investment Officer of the Equity Department at the Netherlands Development Finance Company FMO
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How would Africa be today if the Germans would have stayed in Tanzania, Cameroon, and Togo? - A recent visit to Namibia
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Keywords: sierra_leone travel culture society investment
Reactions
- Posted on Friday 28 December 2007 18:35I have been visiting Sierra Leone since 1976 and could not agree more with the excellent article by Ben Zwinkles.
For those of you who would like to see a True Picture of Sierra Leone today and what it has to offer, you may view my video at this You Tube address.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifQ9YsYkAOo
Yours sincerely
Paul Harvey
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