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Sierra Leone’s Hon. Racheal Mariatu Sesay Pessima, Member of Parliament representing Port Loko District, has been conferred with the Top 100 Global Innovative Leaders Award by the Global Centre for Innovative Leaders.
The award was presented on Thursday, July 2, 2026, during a ceremony held at the Ocean’s Creek Hotel in Port Louis, Mauritius, as part of the three-day Global Innovative Leaders’ Summit.
Hon. Pessima also served as the Guest of Honour and Keynote Speaker at the summit, where she delivered a presentation on the topic, “The Political Case for Diaspora Investment.”
During her address, she provided both parliamentary and community perspectives on how African governments can create enabling environments for diaspora capital to flow back into their home economies.
Expressing appreciation for the recognition and the opportunity to open Panel Four of the summit, Hon. Pessima emphasized the importance of strengthening diaspora engagement across the continent.
“Our task is very clear: to examine how African governments can create enabling environments that allow diaspora capital — financial, intellectual, and social — to flow back into our home economies with trust, impact, and scale. We must also strengthen African diaspora linkages to home investment,” she stated.
Addressing fellow panelists, Hon. Pessima urged lawmakers across Africa to prioritize confidence-building measures for diaspora investors.
“As legislators, we must first legislate for confidence. That means strong, predictable investment codes that recognize diaspora investors as a distinct category,” she noted.
She referenced Ghana’s Diaspora Investment Desk and Nigeria’s Diaspora Commission Act as examples of structures that could be adapted by other African nations to improve diaspora participation in development.
“These structures signal to our people abroad that their government is ready, organized, and serious about working with them,” she added.
Hon. Pessima further called on governments, parliaments, and diaspora communities to take urgent action to strengthen economic collaboration.
“Diaspora capital is not charity; it is a strategy. It is the most patient capital we have. It does not leave when there is an election, and it does not divest when there is a drought. But it will only come if we create an environment where patriotism meets professionalism,” she said.
The award recognizes Hon. Pessima’s contributions to parliamentary oversight, community development in Port Loko District, and her advocacy for inclusive economic transformation in Sierra Leone.
