WORLD BANK EXPOSES SLPP’S PROPAGANDA
…Growth on Paper, Hardship in Reality
A new World Bank economic update has delivered one of the clearest and most unsettling warnings yet about Sierra Leone’s economic direction: the country may be growing on paper, but it is not growing in any way that lifts citizens out of poverty. And unless government takes urgent, concrete action to fix the fundamentals, Sierra Leone risks being left behind.
According to the report, Sierra Leone is projected to grow by 4.3% in 2025, rising slightly to 4.6% by 2027. But the Bank’s message is blunt — those numbers are not nearly good enough, and they are being held up by a fragile, narrowly-based economy.
The Bank points to a weak private sector, limited access to finance, unreliable electricity supply, land bottlenecks, low-skilled labour, and a business environment choked by bureaucracy and uncertainty. These are not new problems — but they are now threatening to choke off the country’s future.
The report further highlights high public debt, persistent fiscal deficits, and a vulnerable macroeconomic position. Without decisive structural reforms, Sierra Leone, the Bank warns, could fall further behind its regional peers.
On top of that, external risks loom large: falling iron ore prices, climate shocks such as floods and droughts, and the continued over-dependence on mining — a sector that has historically failed to translate national wealth into national progress.
The most stinging reality in the report is this: Sierra Leone is rich in minerals and fertile land, yet remains one of the poorest countries in the world. The growth being projected is too modest to create the jobs, incomes, and transformation necessary to meaningfully reduce hardship.
The sectors expected to drive growth — mining and agriculture — are both unstable and underdeveloped. Mining remains controlled by multinational firms exporting raw minerals, while agriculture is still low-yield, under-mechanised, and vulnerable to weather.
The World Bank’s message is unmistakable: the private sector cannot grow when electricity is unreliable, when businesses cannot access credit, and when land acquisition is mired in conflict and bureaucracy. Until those structural barriers fall, Sierra Leone will continue to experience jobless growth — numbers rising on paper, while ordinary citizens see no change.
The report notes that Sierra Leone now faces a high risk of debt distress. Government must cut deficits, raise revenue, and stabilise finances — but must also build roads, power systems, schools, hospitals, and jobs.
This is the country’s economic Catch-22: fixing the economy requires investment — but there is no money to invest.
This report is not simply an economic update — it is a wake-up call.
If policymakers, business leaders, and institutions take it seriously, they will treat it as an urgent demand to:
Reform the business climate
Fix the power sector
Reduce reliance on mining
Support local businesses and manufacturing
Strengthen accountability and spending efficiency
Stop the debt spiral
However, there is a real risk that political actors will instead celebrate the modest growth projection and ignore the underlying warning.
The Bank’s underlying message is clear: Sierra Leone is on thin ice. Small improvements mean little if the core system remains weak.
The Questions the Nation Must Now Ask
Why is access to reliable electricity still so poor?
Why are small businesses unable to get loans?
Why is land acquisition still a political and customary battlefield?
Why is the economy still dependent on exporting raw minerals instead of adding value?
If these questions remain unanswered, then so too will the country’s future.
In One Sentence
Sierra Leone must reform — or pay for its delay.