NIB Engages FCC To Raise Awareness on PPCP Opportunities
The National Investment Board (NIB) on Wednesday 26th November, 2025 held a one day engagement with the Freetown City Council (FCC) to raise awareness and strengthen capacity on how councils and communities can tap into Public-Private-Community Partnership (PPCP) opportunities.
In his welcome address, Kweku Lisk Esq., Deputy Mayor of Freetown, thanked NIB for what he described as a timely and important intervention. He noted that local councils often struggle to bring private investment into public spaces, adding that the training would help them better understand how to structure partnerships that attract private capital while serving community needs.
Tom Bongay from NIB’s Monitoring and Evaluation Unit gave an overview of the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. He explained that PPPs are long-term agreements where government works with private companies to finance, build, or manage public infrastructure and services such as roads, water systems, and public facilities. Common models include Build-Operate-Transfer, Design-Build-Finance-Operate, lease contracts, and service agreements. He highlighted benefits such as reduced pressure on public budgets, access to private expertise, improved efficiency, and shared project risks. At the same time, he warned that PPPs can expose governments to high long term costs if poorly structured, and may create governance risks when contracts lack transparency or oversight.
Alfred Bangura, Research, Planning and Data Analyst at NIB, spoke on the Public-Private-Community Partnership (PPCP) model. He described PPCP as a more inclusive approach that places communities at the centre of project design and implementation, working alongside government and private partners. According to him, PPCPs are useful for social services, tourism development, community infrastructure and environmental projects. He pointed out that the model strengthens local ownership, improves sustainability, and ensures projects reflect the priorities of residents. He also noted that involving more stakeholders can bring challenges, including coordination difficulties and the risk of tokenistic community engagement if not properly managed.
The National Investment Board was created under the National Investment Board Act, 2022, which established it as Sierra Leone’s central authority for investment policy, promotion and coordination. The law also introduced a dedicated PPP Directorate, charged with oversight, due diligence and approval of partnership projects. The Act consolidated multiple investment and regulatory functions under one structure to improve efficiency, transparency and investor confidence
Since its creation, NIB has worked to simplify investment procedures through a “One-Stop” platform, promote domestic and foreign investment, and prepare a pipeline of bankable PPP and PPCP projects in sectors such as energy, transport, ICT, infrastructure, and tourism. It has also strengthened after-care services for investors by helping resolve regulatory and compliance challenges and supporting business expansion. The institutional reforms that accompanied NIB’s establishment have reduced duplication and improved coordination across government agencies.
Wednesday’s engagement marks NIB’s push to ensure local councils, communities, and private actors understand both PPP and PPCP frameworks, with the broader goal of promoting inclusive and sustainable development across Freetown and other parts of the country.
