By Joseph Momoh, D.S.
Sierra Leone’s exports have climbed more than 21% in two years, with the trade deficit cut in half, Minister of Trade and Industry Alpha Ibrahim Sesay told investors and policymakers at the Civic Day London Edition Conference held at Westminster Chapel.
Sesay said exports rose from $1.33 billion in 2023 to $1.68 billion in 2025, a cumulative increase of 21.4%. Over the same period, stronger local manufacturing helped trim imports to $1.9 billion in 2025, narrowing the trade gap from $589 million in 2023 to $286 million.
The minister credited a comprehensive World Trade Organization policy review for bolstering Sierra Leone’s credibility with trading partners and investors. “These reforms have sharpened our legal, financial, and institutional framework for trade and investment,” Sesay said.
To shield households from global volatility, the government has partnered with the World Bank and other international institutions to develop pricing mechanisms aimed at softening the impact of commodity and fuel price swings.
Sesay also announced a new push to bring small and medium-sized enterprises into the formal economy. Planned reforms will focus on informal traders, market women, and young entrepreneurs, expanding their access to trade finance and wider business opportunities.
According to the minister, recent policy shifts have already drawn more than $800 million in investment toward domestic manufacturing and industrial development.
He added that the government is working with the United Nations Development Programme to launch a Diaspora Investment Fund Policy. The framework, he said, will give Sierra Leoneans abroad a transparent and secure channel to invest in the country’s economic transformation.
Sesay framed the measures as part of a broader strategy to position Sierra Leone as an emerging trade hub — balancing imports, lifting exports, and driving inclusive growth.
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