Aberdeen, Freetown, 22nd April, 2013; His Excellency Dr Ernest Bai Koroma has said that agriculture is the mainstay of economic development in Sierra Leone and it impacts nearly all the sectors.

Mr Chairman;
Hon. Vice President;
Hon. Ministers of Government;
Hon. Members of Parliament;
Mayors, Chairperson & Councillors;
My Good Friends the Paramount Chiefs & Traditional Leaders;
Madam Secretary General of the Mano River Union Secretariat;
Distinguished Representatives from the World Bank, The Japanese Government, the West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF/WECARD), Africa Rice Center, the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA),
Members of the Diplomatic and Consular Corp;
Our Dear Esteemed Farmers;
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen.

I warmly welcome you to this launching ceremony of the West African Agricultural Productivity Programme (WAAPP) in Sierra Leone.

Let me start by registering my thanks to the Executive Committee of WAICA for giving me this opportunity to address members of my esteemed profession on the Topic The West Africa Insurance Industry: The Challenges and Opportunities in the Light of Recent Economic and Socio-Political Developments. No time could be better than this for such a topic.