Freetown – On April 7, 2025, a groundbreaking investment agreement was signed at the Pee Cee Agriculture Farm in Lokomasama Chiefdom, Port Loko District. The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has partnered with Pee Cee Holding Ltd in a US$12 million initiative that aims to revolutionize the nation’s agricultural sector.
The deal sets the stage for Sierra Leone’s first large-scale, irrigated, and mechanized farm spread over 500 hectares. Designed to curb the country’s reliance on imported onions and bolster the production of staple crops like maize and potatoes, the project employs state-of-the-art precision irrigation, advanced mechanization, and modern storage solutions.
Key stakeholders are optimistic about the impact. IFC Regional Director for Central Africa and Anglophone West Africa, Madam Dahlia Khalifa, described the initiative as “a beacon of innovation and resilience” in transforming local agriculture. Meanwhile, Ekta Nandwani, Deputy CEO of Pee Cee Holding, stressed the project’s significance in reducing imports and empowering local communities.
Minister of Agriculture, Henry Musa Kpaka, highlighted the plan’s alignment with the government’s “Feed Salone” initiative—a timely response to the onion crisis from two years ago—as a critical step toward sustainable food security and economic growth.
In addition to strengthening its internal operations through a vertically integrated model that spans farming, storage, distribution, and retail across Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Guinea, Pee Cee Holding is teaming up with Njala University and the Ministry of Agriculture. This collaboration will drive research, training, and support for smallholder farmers, with the first phase of an on-site processing facility scheduled to open before the next harvest season.
This US$12 million agreement signals a major turning point for Sierra Leone’s agricultural landscape, promising to improve food availability and pave the way for a more robust, self-reliant economy.
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