The European Union has greenlit €13.5 million in direct budget support to Sierra Leone as part of its ongoing “Nature Nourishes” Programme, signaling strong endorsement of President Julius Maada Bio’s administration and its reform efforts.
In a statement released on Thursday, the Sierra Leone government highlighted that the funding approval underscores the EU’s trust in the country’s leadership, particularly its progress in bolstering public policy frameworks, maintaining macroeconomic stability, enhancing public financial management, and increasing domestic revenue generation.
Officials praised the collaborative work of various ministries, departments, and agencies in meeting the programme’s reform benchmarks. Special recognition was given to the coordinating ministry for its role in overseeing the process and ensuring timely fulfillment of commitments to the EU.
The new funds are expected to bolster several critical national goals, including elevating education standards, increasing rice output to strengthen food security, advancing the decentralization of public services, and intensifying measures against deforestation while building greater resilience to climate change.
The government reiterated its dedication to ongoing reforms, with a focus on upgrading data collection and monitoring systems in the education sector, as well as ramping up conservation efforts, notably in the Western Area Peninsula National Park.
This disbursement adds to previous support under the broader €90 million Nature Nourishes framework, aimed at promoting environmental sustainability, human development, and economic resilience in Sierra Leone.
