African Development Bank Country Office operational in Sierra Leone
The African Development Ba nk (AfDB) Group's Country Office in Sierra Leone is now operational, with the arrival in the country of the recently appointed Officer-in-Charge, Margaret Kilo, who held a meeting in Freetown Friday with Finance Minister, John Benjamin, the Bank said in a statement. "The Bank has maintained close ties with Sierra Leone since its inception. Even through its most difficult period, Sierra Leone never went into arrears with the Bank. This sound relationship between Sierra Leone and the Bank is being further reinforced with the opening of its office in Freetown," Kilo said. She added: "Through this office we hope to see major improvements in our portfolio and to collaborate more effectively with all stakeholders and development partners in Sierra Leone," she said. Kilo, an education specialist, has been with the Bank since 1998. She had worked for the World Bank in Washington DC (1994-1998) and at Cameroon's Higher Education and Scientific Research Ministry Cameroon (1982-1989). "Sierra Leone is one huge construction site. Except for electricity shortage, things are really looking good," she said in a phone call from Freetown after the meeting with the Sierra Leonean Finance Minister. According to the statement, the establishment of the Country Office is part of the Bank Group's decentralization strategy, approved by its Board of Directors in September 2004 with the objective of strengthening in-country activity and knowledge, conducting dialogue with countries on policy and strategy and acting as a focal point on key aspects of project implementation. The AfDB Group began operations in Sierra Leone in 1969 and its cumulative commitments in the country currently stand at US$393.01 million in 48 operations.
