Freetown, 1 September 2026 – The World Bank Group has appointed Aissatou Diallo, a Guinean national, as its new Country Manager for Sierra Leone. She will be based in Freetown and take charge of the Bank’s nearly $1.2 billion portfolio in the country.
In her new role, Ms Diallo will lead strategic talks with the Government of Sierra Leone and other partners. She will help drive the country programme, focusing on inclusive economic growth, stronger human capital, greater resilience, more jobs, and private-sector investment.
Ms Diallo brings almost 30 years of experience in development finance, including more than 20 years with the World Bank Group since joining in 2002 (or 2003 according to some profiles). She has held senior operational and leadership roles across Africa and beyond, covering country leadership, portfolio management, policy dialogue, financial oversight, partnerships, and work in fragile and conflict-affected settings.
Before this appointment she served nearly four years as Resident Representative for Gabon. She was also Resident Representative for Equatorial Guinea from October 2022 to 30 June 2025. Earlier in her career she worked as Senior Financial Management Coordinator for parts of Western and Central Africa and contributed to programmes in the Middle East and Europe and Central Asia. Before joining the Bank she worked as an internal auditor and tax accountant.
“I am deeply honoured to serve as the World Bank Group’s Country Manager for Sierra Leone and look forward to deepening our engagement in the country,” Ms Diallo said.
“Throughout my career, I have witnessed the extraordinary resilience, ingenuity, and determination of communities to overcome development challenges. I look forward to working closely with the Government, development partners, civil society, the private sector, and citizens across the country to advance opportunities that create jobs, strengthen human capital, build resilience, and improve lives for all Sierra Leoneans.”
The World Bank has long supported Sierra Leone in areas such as human capital, agriculture, energy, water, social protection, governance, digital development, and private-sector growth. Recent examples include a $40 million grant approved in June 2026 for the Sustainable Agricultural Value-chains Intensification for Growth (SAVIG) project, which aims to boost productivity, private investment, and jobs in key agricultural value chains as part of the government’s Feed Salone strategy. The Bank has also stressed the need for private-sector reforms to create the estimated 75,000 new jobs Sierra Leone needs each year.
Ms Diallo succeeds Abdu Muwonge as Country Manager. She arrives as the World Bank prepares its next Country Partnership Framework for Sierra Leone (covering roughly FY27–FY32), which will guide future support.
Her experience in fragile settings and regional leadership is expected to help strengthen the Bank’s partnership with Sierra Leone at a time when the country continues to prioritise growth, jobs, food security, and resilience.
