Minister of Finance, Sheku Ahmed Fantamadi Bangura, has urged development partners to act with urgency to support developing countries in mitigating the impact of the Middle East Crisis.
The shrewd Finance Minister was speaking at the Global Partnership Conference (GPC) in London at the invitation of Hon. Baroness Chapman, Minister of International Development of the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Minister Bangura participated in the high-level GPC in London from 19-20 May 2026, respectively.
The GPC brought together countries from around the world to build new partnerships and set out the United Kingdom’s new approach to development, as the crisis in the Middle East continues to wreak havoc in global energy and food security.
They discussed the repercussions of the Iran crisis for fertiliser markets, global food security, and the required international responses.
In the session on Outcomes-Based Financing: Modern Partnership, Strengthened Results and Value for Money, Minister Bangura informed that the crisis in the Middle East has the potential to undo all the impressive gains in preserving macroeconomic stability over the last two years in Sierra Leone.
On the importance of Outcomes-Based financing, Minister Bangura reiterated the importance of citizens’ voices in the formulation of policies that will ensure the desired outcomes are achieved.
He urged the UK government to take advantage of the current global challenges and assume global leadership in providing support to developing countries.
Minister Bangura said the crisis in the Middle East is a clear and present danger that will force developing countries to look for alternative sources for fertilisers, ammonia, and urea.
He explained that Sierra Leone is import-dependent, and prices and access to fertiliser pose a risk of social stability and food security. Minister Bangura urged development partners to act with urgency in support of developing countries while he advocated for emergency concessional financing and a coordinated approach to the procurement of key agriculture inputs to ensure an even distribution among developing countries.
The Finance Minister also attended the Fiscal Resilience Roundtable to discuss how development partners can support partner countries in increasing domestic revenue, improving the effectiveness of expenditure, and strengthening debt management through better-coordinated international support.
Mr. Bangura also held bilateral meetings with the President of African Development Bank Group, Dr. Sidi Ould Tah; Director of International Finance at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Mr. Phil Stevens; and the Chief Executive Officer of British International Investment (BII).
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