Is Sherbro Island Eco-city Project A Sham?

By Aruna Momoh Kargbo

On the 14th of December 2022 an agreement was signed between the Government of Sierra Leone and the Sherbro Alliance Partners (SAP) Limited for the investment and development of the Sherbro Island.

Sierra Leoneans were excited with the breaking of such a news as development is central to human existence.
However, many right-thinking Sierra Leoneans are now concerned about the possibility of such a development, as similar projects have not succeeded in other parts of Africa, especially in Senegal where serious questions have been raised about the American Senegalese singer’s smart city project, Akon City.

It was a project that was tagged $6 billion by singer, Aliaune Damala Badara Thiam commonly known as Akon.
There is no specific budget for the Sherbro Island development and investment project which is set to be operated based on a Public Private Partnership (PPP) financing and that funds will be generated from a wide range of sources.
Based on the signed agreement, SAP is more in control of the agreement as against the control of government as decisions could be made as and when they are in the favour of SAP.

In the midst of all these, there is now huge doubt about the possibility of the project, which many people believed is farfetched.

In his response, the Director of Sherbro Alliance Partners Limited, Siaka Stevens said that realistically, the cost will accumulate into billions over time adding that it a long-term project with quick wins for Sierra Leone at every stage.

He maintained that their passion, determination and willingness to take risks drive them to transform ideas into tangible outcomes.