Sierra Leone And Liberia Lay Foundation For Joint Border Post
Aaron Parker On May 10, 2023, representatives from Sierra Leone and Liberia handed over a site to the ECOWAS Commission, marking the beginning of the construction of a Joint Border Post (JBP) at the Jendema-Bo Waterside corridor.
The JBP aims to facilitate cross-border trade and the free movement of people and goods between the two ECOWAS Member States.
High-level officials from both countries participated in the handover ceremony, including ministers, deputy ministers, and heads of ECOWAS National Offices. Various government officials, including engineers, architects, customs officers, and immigration officials, were also present.
The head of the ECOWAS Commission’s Resident Representative in Liberia, H.E. Josephine Nkrumah, led the mission, emphasizing the historic milestone achieved by both countries in deepening regional integration. She highlighted the opportunities for job creation and the establishment of small businesses that the JBP would bring, and stressed the importance of engaging border communities in the design and operation of the Joint Border Post.
Augustus J. Flomo, the Deputy Minister for Economic Management in Liberia, expressed his government’s support for the project and its commitment to facilitating border control and promoting economic cooperation between Sierra Leone and Liberia.
Dr. Francis Kai-Kai, representing Sierra Leone, thanked the ECOWAS Commission, the government of Liberia, and the people of Jendema and Sorogbema Chiefdom for their dedication to the project. He emphasized the importance of the JBP in promoting regional integration and economic development, and assured the ECOWAS Commission of Sierra Leone’s cooperation in addressing challenges related to cross-border trade.
The ECOWAS Commission conducted inspections and identified benchmarks on the provided lands, and a consulting services team will present a detailed engineering design within six months.
