Sierra Leone Economic Diversification Project (SLEDP)

Sierra Leone’s economy has historically relied heavily on mining activities, making the country vulnerable to commodity price fluctuations and external economic shocks. SLEDP was introduced to promote economic diversification and create more sustainable and inclusive growth opportunities.

The project is implemented under the Ministry of Finance, with key collaboration from:

Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Affairs;
Ministry of Trade and Industry;
Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency (SMEDA);
Bank of Sierra Leone and other public institutions.

The project operates through several major components:

Business Environment and Capacity Building
Focuses on regulatory reforms, investment climate improvement, and strengthening institutional effectiveness.
SMEs and Entrepreneurship Support
Provides technical, advisory, and financial support for small businesses and entrepreneurs.
Tourism and Public Goods Investment
Invests in tourism infrastructure and services to attract private-sector participation.
Project Management and Emergency Response
Supports implementation, monitoring, coordination, and contingency response mechanisms.

The project particularly addresses barriers such as weak governance systems, poor entrepreneurship ecosystems, inadequate infrastructure, and low technical capacity.

The Sierra Leone Economic Diversification Project (SLEDP) is a five-year development initiative implemented by the Government of Sierra Leone with approximately US$40 million in grant support from the World Bank. The project aims to stimulate economic transformation by promoting SMEs, entrepreneurship, tourism development, and private-sector growth outside the mining sector.