The Ministry of Finance, through its Public Debt Management Division and with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), concluded a three-day workshop focused on developing a roadmap for innovative financing. The event took place at Nimiyama Hotel in Rokel and ended on November 28, 2025.
During the closing session, Santigie Charles Conteh, Deputy Director of the Public Debt Management Division, addressed the country’s current financial challenges. He stated that there is a “significant financing gap to achieve its development goals in key sectors such as healthcare, agriculture, education, climate resilience, infrastructure, and even funding the big five game changers of government.”
Conteh highlighted that existing funding sources—such as government revenue and donor assistance—are not enough to meet these needs. He said there is a need to diversify national financing by using innovative instruments that can attract private capital and create new revenue streams. “Traditional funding sources, including government revenue and donor assistance, are insufficient to address government needs; hence, the need to diversify the national financing architecture by exploring and deploying innovative financing instruments that can leverage private capital, unlock new revenue streams and improve the efficiency of public expenditure,” he explained.
He also mentioned that this new roadmap aims to increase fiscal space and reduce pressure on public debt. It will connect climate finance opportunities with responsive projects in the country. “The roadmap would promote fiscal space and ease pressure on public debt accumulation, link climate financing opportunities and responsive projects, which are evident in the country,” Conteh added.
Participants from various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies expressed their appreciation for the initiative. They thanked both the Ministry of Finance and UNDP for organizing the workshop and committed to sharing what they learned about innovative financing within their organizations. “The participants from Ministries, Departments and Agencies thanked the Ministry of Finance and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for the opportunity and promised to cascade the ideas discussed during the workshop on innovative financing for economic growth.”
Staff members who attended included representatives from several key institutions: Accountant General’s Department, Bank of Sierra Leone, Ministry of Planning and Economic Development, National Revenue Authority, National Investment Board, Environmental Protection Agency, as well as staff from within the Ministry of Finance itself.