President Julius Maada Bio has highlighted what he described as significant gains across Sierra Leone’s economy and key development sectors, including agriculture, education, energy and healthcare.
Speaking at the State Opening of Parliament, President Bio said the country’s real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 4.6 percent in 2024 and 4.8 percent in 2025, while Treasury bill rates dropped sharply from 9.4 percent in April 2025 to 4.4 percent by December, its lowest level in nearly two decades.
The country’s trade deficit narrowed from US$1.60 billion in 2024 to US$1.07 billion in 2025, while the overall fiscal deficit declined from 5.4 percent to 4.4 percent of GDP. Public debt declined from 50.8 percent to 49.3 percent of GDP.
Turning to agriculture, President Bio identified the Feed Salone Programme as a central pillar of Government’s efforts to strengthen food security, create employment and transform rural communities. He reported that rice production increased to 1,441,015 metric tonnes in 2025, representing a 4.2 percent increase over the previous year. Rice self-sufficiency consequently increased from 68 percent in 2023 to 73 percent in 2025.
At a large-scale onion farm and processing facility in Lungi, onion cultivation has expanded from 70 to 170 hectares, creating employment for more than 500 women. Increased local production has also contributed to a reduction in onion prices from NLe50 to NLe34. “This is the result we seek: increased local production, lower food prices and more income for families,” President Bio said.
The 40-megawatt RESPITE Solar Project, described by the President as the largest single addition of renewable energy to the national grid, is expected to benefit more than 40 communities in the Western Rural Area.
President Bio also reported significant progress in maternal and child health. Maternal mortality declined from 1,200 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2013 to 354 in 2023, representing a 70 percent reduction over the decade.