By: The Nature Newspaper
His Excellency President Dr. Julius Maada Bio on Thursday graced the national celebration of World Food Day and the third anniversary of the Feed Salone initiative in Magburaka, Tonkolili District, underscoring the government’s unwavering commitment to achieving food security and sovereignty in Sierra Leone. The colourful event, held under the global theme “Innovate Today. Nourish Tomorrow,” brought together farmers, traditional leaders, government officials, development partners, youth groups, women agripreneurs, and representatives of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces. It featured exhibitions of local produce, agricultural innovations, machinery displays, and recognition of outstanding farmers. President Bio, who arrived to a warm reception from the people of Tonkolili, inspected agricultural stands showcasing rice, cassava, maize, vegetables, poultry products, and value-added goods produced under the Feed Salone programme. He later delivered a keynote address that blended personal conviction, policy direction, and a call to collective action. Full Text by His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio “My fellow Sierra Leoneans, distinguished guests, hardworking farmers, Paramount Chiefs, development partners, members of the Armed Forces, women and youth of this great nation, Today, as we gather here in Magburaka to mark World Food Day and the third anniversary of Feed Salone, I stand before you not only as your President but as a proud Chief Farmer of Sierra Leone. Three years ago, we made a solemn pledge: that Sierra Leone would grow what it eats and eats what it grows.
We launched Feed Salone with a clear vision to end our dependence on food imports, create jobs, improve nutrition, and restore dignity to the men and women who till our fertile lands. Today, I am proud to report that the journey has begun in earnest. Across the country, from the military farms in Moyamba to the women-led maize fields, from the rice bowls of the North to the cocoa and cashew plantations of the South and East, Sierra Leoneans are answering the call. Production is rising. Mechanization is expanding. Private investment is growing. And most importantly, the mindset of our people is changing. But let us be clear: the work is far from finished. We still import too much of what we consume. Our farmers still face challenges of access to finance, quality inputs, storage, and markets. Climate change continues to test our resilience. That is why this year’s theme ‘Innovate Today. Nourish Tomorrow’ speaks directly to our moment. Innovation does not only mean big machines and expensive technology. It means climate-smart practices that our rural women are already adopting. It means using research from our universities. It means young people applying digital tools to agriculture. It means the Armed Forces turning barracks land into productive farms. It means every household with a backyard garden contributing to the national effort. I want to thank our farmers especially the women who form the backbone of our agriculture for your tireless work.
I thank our development partners for walking this journey with us. I thank the private sector for believing in the potential of Sierra Leonean agriculture. And I thank the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces for demonstrating that national service includes feeding the nation. As we enter the fourth year of Feed Salone, I reaffirm my government’s commitment. We will continue to expand irrigation, improve seed systems, strengthen extension services, facilitate access to credit, and create reliable markets for our produce. We will support agro-processing so that value is added here at home. We will keep making agriculture attractive to our youth. My fellow citizens, food security is not a government project alone. It is a national mission. Every Sierra Leonean has a role to play. Let us innovate. Let us produce. Let us nourish our children with the fruits of our own land. Together, we will feed Salone. Together, we will build a Sierra Leone that is food-secure, prosperous, and proud. I thank you, and may God continue to bless our beloved country.” Summary of the President’s Speech In his address, President Bio celebrated the progress made under the three-year-old Feed Salone initiative while candidly acknowledging remaining challenges such as food imports, climate pressures, and limited access to finance and markets.
He positioned innovation both technological and traditional as the pathway to sustainable food systems, highlighted the contributions of women, youth, the private sector, and the military, and issued a strong call for collective national responsibility. The President reaffirmed government support for irrigation, seeds, credit, extension TV services, and agro-processing, framing food security as a shared mission rather than a purely governmental endeavor. The event concluded with the presentation of awards to outstanding farmers and the symbolic handover of agricultural support packages, reinforcing the government’s message that Sierra Leone’s path to food sovereignty lies in the hands of its people.
