Vice President Juldeh Jalloh Urges Sierra Leoneans to Take Pride in Homegrown Products

The Vice President, Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh, has urged Sierra Leoneans to take pride in homegrown products and invest in the nation’s manufacturing potential, describing the moment as “the rebirth of our national industry.”

Vice President, Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh, speaking at the closing ceremony of the Manufacturers Roundtable and Made in Sierra Leone Exhibition 2025, held at the Bintumani Conference Hall in Freetown, commended local entrepreneurs and producers for their resilience, innovation, and contribution to national development.

He urged all citizens to embrace the spirit of “Produce Salone, Buy Salone” as a pathway toward economic self-reliance and national pride.

Furthermore, he said the exhibition had showcased “the faces and stories behind Sierra Leone’s growing industries”, from small producers who began with limited means to young innovators now exporting goods across Africa and even as far as Barbados.

He noted that the country’s heavy dependence on imports, especially food items, had made it vulnerable to global shocks such as the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasizing that Sierra Leone’s future lies in homegrown production and value addition.

Dr. Jalloh also stated the government’s commitment to empowering women and youth through access to finance, skills training, and digital markets, adding that “industrialization must be inclusive if it is to be sustainable.

Finally, concluding his statement, the Vice President called on Sierra Leoneans to take personal ownership of the nation’s economic transformation by supporting locally made products.

“Together, we will transform Sierra Leone into a nation that not only consumes but produces, a nation that exports innovations, skills, and pride,” he concluded, drawing applause from participants.