Sierra Leone is courting European investment to boost industrialisation and reduce its reliance on exporting unprocessed minerals and cocoa, the country’s ambassador to the Benelux region said on Thursday.
Speaking at the EU-Africa Investment Roundtable in Brussels, Ambassador Philip Bob Jusu said the West African nation aims to leverage its preferential trade access to the European Union to capture more value domestically. He argued that while Sierra Leone benefits from trade agreements, its narrow export profile limits job creation and broader economic resilience.
“Sierra Leone is positioning itself to unlock greater economic benefits from its trade relationship with the European Union as global investment patterns shift,” Jusu said.
The ambassador highlighted industrial capacity and export diversification as urgent priorities. He urged investors to support local processing of raw materials, so trade contributes directly to national development objectives.
To reassure potential partners, Jusu addressed regional risk perceptions, citing “Africa’s steady progress over the past two decades” and presenting Sierra Leone as a stable destination for innovative financing. He advocated for blended finance and risk-sharing models to de-risk long-term capital projects and attract private investment into sectors beyond commodity exports.
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The roundtable, co-hosted by IE-University and the Brussels Africa Hub, focused on translating political commitments from the 7th AU-EU Summit into tangible investment projects. The event was themed “The Future of EU-Africa Trade and Investment” and brought together policymakers, investors, and development officials.
EU Ambassador to the African Union, Javier Niño Pérez, used the forum to reaffirm the EU’s commitment to Africa, emphasizing multilateral cooperation as key to advancing sustainable economic development across the continent.
Sierra Leone is heavily dependent on the export of raw cocoa, diamonds, iron ore and rutile, with limited domestic processing. Analysts say the country’s push reflects a broader continental ambition to move from commodity-dependent economies to industrialised producers capable of adding value locally.
Success will depend on convincing European investors that Sierra Leone’s investment climate, governance frameworks, and infrastructure can support complex manufacturing and processing ventures. The country’s authorities are promoting legal reforms, incentives, and public-private partnerships to strengthen investor confidence.
Jusu highlighted that industrialisation and diversification could expand employment, strengthen revenue generation, and reduce the vulnerability of the economy to global commodity price fluctuations. He also emphasized that tapping into Europe’s capital markets could facilitate knowledge transfer, technology adoption, and sustainable growth.
The appeal aligns with wider African strategies under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to foster regional value chains, encourage local production, and integrate more fully into global markets. Observers say Sierra Leone faces both opportunities and challenges: while the country enjoys abundant natural resources and trade preferences with the EU, attracting long-term industrial investment will require robust governance, infrastructure, and skilled labour.
“Blended finance, risk-sharing mechanisms, and targeted incentives are essential tools for turning policy dialogue into concrete economic outcomes,” Jusu told the forum.
Investors at the roundtable expressed cautious interest, noting that the success of such initiatives depends on consistent regulatory frameworks and the ability to implement industrial projects at scale.
Sierra Leone’s pitch underscores the continent’s ambition to move beyond raw material exports, diversify economies, and build sustainable, industrialised growth models capable of weathering global market fluctuations.
