Beiträge

It was a historic moment last week in Washington, DC, in the United States, when the Group Heads of European Investment Bank (EIB) and Vista Bank Sierra Leone signed a €10,000,000.00 (Ten Million Euro) facility from the EIB to lend to small, medium-size corporations in Sierra Leone.

This is the first time the EIB has given money to a commercial bank to lend to small, medium-sized corporations in the country.

The Governor of Bank of Sierra Leone (BSL), Dr. Ibrahim L. Stevens and the group heads of the two financial institutions were in Washington for the signing ceremony.

Today, at the Sierra Leone Agrifood Investor Summit at the New Brookfields Hotel in Freetown, the EIB and Vista Bank (SL) Limited will present their partnership and the signing agreement in Washington.

The presentation will be made after the opening remarks by National Investment Board, Private Sector Experience by PEE CEE & SONS, The Minister of Finance, and the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, as well as the keynote address by His Excellency President Dr. Julius Maada Bio, and a video of Investment Opportunities in Sierra Leone.

During the presentation of the EIB - Vista Bank, presentations will be made by the European Union Delegation in Freetown, EIB Regional Representative, Vista Bank, and the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security.

There will be Panel Discussion 1 on Investment Opportunities in Sierra Leone, and panellists include the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Ministry of Trade and Industry, and World Bank/IFC Company Director.

The moderator is PI-CREF (Presidential Initiative on Climate Change, Renewable Energy, and Food Security.
Company presentations will be made by Willing Hands, Jam Jay, and Rainforest building. Companies will share their experiences in the plenary.

They will highlight experiences in doing business, raising capital and future expansion plans.

There will also be Panel Discussion 2 on how to overcome challenges for successful investments in agrifood - the private sector lens. This session features successful investors and companies sharing their experiences and how they have overcome challenges. It will also explore their sourcing arrangements with smallholders. "How we get it done."

Today's closing remarks will be made by the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, and that will be followed by Government/Investor Meetings with government officials and in-country development partners.

The Sierra Leone Agrifood Investor Summit will end on Thursday 30th October, 2025.