Sierra Leone Telegraph: 26 January 2021:
The USAID-funded West Africa Trade & Investment Hub has announced its first co-investment project with Stichting Cordaid (Cordaid), managed by Cordaid Investment Management B.V. (CIM), to increase access to finance by small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and microfinance institutions (MFIs) in Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali, and Sierra Leone.
This two-way trade in the fragile Sahel region of West Africa aims to combat high rates of poverty, unemployment, conflict, and desertification through private sector investments, targeting both women and youth.
Because of this public-private partnership, the co-investment will generate up to $37 million of new private investment into these countries to support local economies, create over 20,000 direct and indirect jobs, and increase the value of exports over the duration of the activity by $30 million.