The International Labor Organization in partnership with the Sierra Leone Local Content Agency and other development partners has ended a three day Opportunity Salone knowledge Sharing event and Exhibition at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Aberdeen from the 3r to the 5th December, 2025. The event marked the presence of dignitaries, the Chief Minister- Dr. David Moinina Sengeh, The Minister of Trade and Industry- Alpha Ibrahim Sesay, Dr. Vanessa Phala-Moyo – the ILO country Director for Sierra Leone, Ghana, Liberia and Nigeria, Mr. Tonderai Manoto-the ILO Chief Technical Adviser for Sierra Leone. Local Content Agency Director-General- Mr. Fodeba Daboh, The Executive Director of SMEDA, Representatives of Ministries Department and Agencies (MDAs), other development partners and local business owners from across the country.
Day one marked by statements from various stakeholders and panel discussions of key participants where the Director-General, Mr. Fodebah Daboh made a succinct presentation on the support of ILO to local businesses in two key value chains, Cassava Flour in to bakery products and the Palm oil kernel in to beauty products implemented in four districts; Kenema, Makeni; Portloko and Bo districts. These businesses competed and the final competitors were awarded with some financial supports to improve on their business landscape by creating more jobs for other Sierra Leoneans. Day two and three were also marked by panel discussions where some panels were moderated by the Sierra Leone Local Content Agency. The programme had a business clinic and an exhibition center of local products where local business owners come to interact with business experts so as to seek solution to their business challenges
The Director-General, Fodeba Daboh in the last plenary discussion on institutional commitments to output delivery gave the following points: have MoU with Tourism Sector to ensure local products are displayed and sold, ensure local content goods and products are displayed at supermarkets/Hotels by enhancing market opportunities to local businesses, ensure greater awareness to local products, continue building capacity enhancement skills to local businesses, create market access to local entrepreneurs guided by the local content policy and ensure local entrepreneurs maintain standards and add quality to their products by working with the Sierra Leone Standards Bureau for reduced percentage discount on testing local products that will enhance them access to international exports competition.
The event ended with the giving of awards to partners, local businesses and stakeholders that have incredibly supported the work of Opportunity Salone project for sustainable development and economic growth in Sierra Leone.
