Bo City, Sierra Leone – January 29, 2026 – The Office of the Presidential Initiative on Climate Change, Renewable Energy and Food Security (PI-CREF), in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), has successfully concluded a one-day regional training workshop on strengthened food systems coordination and information dissemination in Bo City.
The engagement, which followed an earlier workshop in Makeni, brought together food systems stakeholders from Sierra Leone’s Southern and Eastern Regions. The initiative reinforced national efforts to improve coordination, collaboration, and information flow across the food systems landscape.
Welcoming participants on behalf of the District Agriculture Officer, Ms. Kadijatu Alice Koroma, District Crop Officer, expressed appreciation to PI-CREF and FAO for selecting Bo as host city. She underscored the importance of strong inter-institutional collaboration in advancing national food security goals, noting that platforms for dialogue and learning remain critical to collective success.
Delivering the keynote on behalf of PI-CREF Chairman, Dr. Patrick Kormawa, Director of Food Security and Climate-Smart Agricultural Transformation, highlighted PI-CREF’s role as a national coordination hub. He thanked FAO for its continued partnership and emphasized that effective food systems governance requires deliberate multi-sectoral engagement beyond agriculture.
“PI-CREF provides a strong national platform that brings together MDAs, development partners, the private sector, civil society, and communities. We emphasize collaboration over isolation and collective action toward shared objectives,” Dr. Kormawa stated.
He described the workshop as timely and strategic, focusing on strengthening coordination structures and enhancing information dissemination for evidence-based decision-making.
Ms. Neneh Bah Jalloh, National Coordinator of the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Secretariat, commended PI-CREF and FAO for convening stakeholders at regional level. She reaffirmed SUN’s commitment to sustained collaboration in advancing integrated food and nutrition systems nationwide.
Dr. James Edwin, Director General of the National Monitoring and Evaluation Directorate (NaMED), praised the initiative as a critical step toward inclusive dialogue and stronger institutional alignment. He called for more engagements that promote shared learning and coordinated action.
The workshop was facilitated by Hon. Solomon Bangali, Lead Consultant, and his technical team, whose guidance ensured active participation and outcome-oriented discussions.
Workshop Highlights
The event convened a diverse group of participants, including District Agriculture Officers, District Nutritionists from District Health Management Teams, agricultural nutritionists, and national-level actors in food systems governance.
Discussions centered on:
- Strengthening inclusive and accountable food systems.
- Enhancing institutional capacity and multi-sector collaboration.
- Improving information sharing and data-driven interventions.
Interactive sessions allowed participants to exchange experiences, assess existing coordination and data-sharing platforms, and identify practical pathways for improving governance and evidence-based decision-making.
The Bo workshop concluded with participants reaffirming their commitment to cross-sector collaboration. The outcome marked another meaningful step toward building resilient, well-coordinated, and data-informed food systems that support food security and improved nutrition for all Sierra Leoneans.