The Sierra Leone Housing Corporation (SALHOC) today held a crucial development partnership meeting with representatives from Trust & Go BV, a Saudi Arabia-based donor organization, to explore potential collaboration on infrastructure and housing projects in Sierra Leone.
Opening the meeting, Deputy General Manager of SALHOC, Mr. Emmanuel Tommy, welcomed the delegation and noted that this was the second engagement between SALHOC and the Saudi team. He recalled that the previous meeting did not yield any tangible outcomes but expressed hope that this time, under the new leadership, a positive outcome would be recorded. Mr. Tommy then introduced the current General Manager, Mr. Joseph Munda Sandi, to the visiting delegates.
The Saudi delegation, led by Mr. Ellafi Mahdaoui, introduced themselves and were joined by other SALHOC stakeholders during the session.
In his welcome address, Mr. Joseph Munda Sandi provided a brief history of SALHOC and highlighted its pivotal role in national housing development. He emphasized that the Corporation is committed to forming reliable development partnerships and reiterated the government’s vision under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which include the construction of 20,000 housing units across the country.
Mr. Sandi noted that SALHOC is one of the two agencies currently supervised by the Ministry of Lands and Housing, and the Minister, Dr. Turad Senesie, has committed to supporting the agency in fulfilling its mandate to provide affordable housing for low, middle, and high-income earners. He stressed that addressing the current housing deficit—estimated at 500,000 units—is a priority and that the Corporation has sufficient land available for housing development. “Investing in housing is a pathway to reducing poverty,” he stated.
In response, Mr. Ellafi Mahdaoui from Trust & Go BV acknowledged the Corporation’s commitment and revealed that his organization is currently mobilizing funds from the Saudi government. He requested that SALHOC submit a detailed scope of work and a concept note outlining proposed housing projects to facilitate further discussions and decision-making on the proposed partnership.
Following a productive discussion, SALHOC agreed to provide the requested documents along with an action plan. Both parties expressed optimism about the potential partnership, and the delegation promised to return for follow-up engagements.
The meeting concluded with a group photo, symbolizing the shared commitment to exploring a strategic partnership for Sierra Leone’s infrastructure development.
(C) SALHOC Communications Unit
