When a child washes his hands clean, he will eat with his elders, so says the African proverb. This goes for His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio who has washed his hands clean and is now eating with very eminent personalities, the latest being the President of the great United States of America Joe Biden.

It takes a lot of skill to be welcomed in the Oval office at the White House, one of the most prestigious presidential offices in the world. President Bio’s inclusion among the six Heads of State from Africa who were invited by the American president demonstrates how well-regarded the Sierra Leonean leader is internationally.

President Joe Biden reportedly assured African leaders in that meeting that the United States of America is committed to cooperating with them on trade and other issues. The meeting took place during the three-day US-Africa Leaders Summit, which included delegations from nearly 50 countries as well as the African Union.

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Prior to that meeting at the White House, President Bio had a bilateral meeting with Alice Albright, CEO of the Millennium Challenge Corporation, who gave the president of Sierra Leone assurances that the development of the compact was on track and who, in turn, reaffirmed Sierra Leone’s commitment to advancing reforms in line with the MCC Scorecard.

President has been arguing for Africa in general on a global scale. President Bio stated, “I will simply state the assertion by the United Nations that Africa contains 30% of the earth’s mineral reserves, including 40% of the world’s gold and 40% of its chromium and platinum, not to mention an even higher percentage of rare earth and other metals that are indispensable for developing and processing,” at the African and Diaspora Young Leaders Forum on the sidelines of the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit in Washington, DC, on December 13, 2022.

The world cannot advance as it must without Africa when you consider that it holds 12% of the world’s oil reserves, 8% of the world’s natural gas reserves, and the largest and most diverse climate ecosystem.

With such a compelling argument in favor of Africa, it is understandable that the Biden administration aims to invest $55 billion there over the next three years, focusing on the economic, security, and health sectors, all of which would benefit President Bio’s diplomatic savvy in Sierra Leone.

Because of President Bio’s competent leadership and the support of the international community and financial institutions, pledges and grants are still being made to Sierra Leone on the eve of the country’s general elections the following year. Recent approval of a US$50 million funding by the World Bank will help the SLPP Government’s flagship program for Free Quality School Education.

President Bio recently won the 11th African Leadership Persons of the Year Award–2022, making Sierra Leoneans extremely pleased. After receiving more than 68% of the overall vote to defeat other contestants in the category, he was declared the African of the Year winner. It should be mentioned that he won the overall category, with the poll receiving more than 1 million active online engagements and a total of over 15,000 votes cast.

The African Leadership Persons of the Year Award of President Bio’s citation is self-explanatory. In spite of economic shocks brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, they said, “Four and a half years later, he has maintained his commitment.

According to recent statistics from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, the country spends 32% of its GDP overall on education, ranking it among the highest in the world. The vast investments made by his government in infrastructure, mining, agriculture, and health care also help to reshape the socioeconomic development trajectory of the nation.

There is no denying that President Bio has already secured his second term in office with all those wonderful comments from reputable international leaders and organisations. The “Tok en Do President” has gained the hearts and minds of Sierra Leoneans who believe in human capital development, making the June 24, 2023 presidential election nothing more than a formality.