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The Minister of Planning and Economic Development, Kenyeh Barlay, has received the new Resident Representative of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Mr. Satoru Matsuyama, during a courtesy visit at the Ministry’s office.
The meeting provided an opportunity for both parties to reaffirm the longstanding partnership between Sierra Leone and Japan and explore avenues for enhanced cooperation in support of the country’s development priorities.
Minister Barlay expressed appreciation for Japan’s enduring support for the country’s development agenda and acknowledged JICA’s significant contribution to strengthening institutional capacity within the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development (MoPED) and across government.
She noted that many officials serving in the Ministry and other public institutions are beneficiaries of JICA-supported academic and professional training programmes, including long-term Master’s and PhD studies. According to the Minister, these alumni continue to play critical roles in policy planning, development coordination, public investment management, rural development, research, and aid management.
Madam Barlay commended JICA’s long-term investment in human capital development and called for expanded support to further strengthen the Ministry’s technical capacity. She appealed for an increase in the annual quota for JICA’s long-term training programmes and advocated for additional opportunities in specialised PhD studies and short-term professional training.
The Minister stressed the need to build expertise in areas such as development research, policy evaluation and analysis, poverty assessment, development finance, data analytics, artificial intelligence in planning, and the integration of climate change and gender considerations into development planning processes.
Minister Barlay proposed a partnership with JICA to explore the adaptation of Japan’s renowned “One Village, One Product” (OVOP) model within the chiefdom planning framework. She noted that the approach could help stimulate local economic development, promote community-based enterprise, and attract targeted investments in priority sectors.
In his remarks, Mr. Matsuyama expressed gratitude for the warm reception and reaffirmed JICA’s commitment to supporting Sierra Leone’s sustainable development efforts. Having arrived in Sierra Leone on 6 May 2026, he stated that he had been impressed by the Government’s ongoing development initiatives and commended the Ministry’s efforts to promote good governance and local development.
Mr. Matsuyama further noted JICA’s ongoing support to the energy sector through electricity distribution expansion projects along the Freetown Peninsula, as well as its contributions to the health sector, including the construction of Lumley Hospital, technical assistance to health institutions, and support for the development of the Mother and Child Health Handbook.
The meeting concluded with both sides reaffirming their commitment to deepening cooperation and exploring new opportunities for partnership in support of Sierra Leone’s sustainable development objectives, particularly in the areas of capacity building, local governance, rural development, climate resilience, and inclusive economic growth.
