Smallholder Commercialization and Agri-Busness Development Project - SCADeP

TWO UP - TWO MORE TO GO: SCADeP PROJECT TRIUMPHS AS PRESIDENT BIO COMMISSIONS GENDEMA BRIDGE

On the 30th of November the president of Sierra Leone. Rtd. Dr. Julius Maada Bio Commissioned the Gendema bridge in the Kenema district.

The completed Gendema bridge is one of four bridges being constructed by the SACDeP project and the second to be commissioned after the Mattru bridge commissioning. Two more bridges remain; the Manowa and Tompare bridges in the Kailahun and Karene districts.

The Gendema bridge commissioning drew a plethora of beneficiaries from the Simbaru, Wandor and surrounding chiefdoms.

The project is a landmark capital-intensive project that will facilitate economic opportunity in the mining and Agric sectors, reduce travel time and enhance regional integration of the Simbaru, Wandor and Golama Mende Chiefdoms in the Kenema District. It will further foster inter district connectivity by linking the Bo, Kenema, Tonkolili and Kono districts.

This project is implemented by the Smallholder Commercialization and Agribusiness Development Project (SCADeP) under the Ministry of agriculture and Food Security and is a significant boost to the “Feed Salone” agricultural flagship program.

Prominent amongst the dignitaries who attended where the first lady of Sierra Leone Mrs. Fatima Bio, the Chief Minister David Moinina Sengeh, the World Bank Country Manager Abdu Mwonge, The Minister of Finance Shecku Ahmed Fantamadi Kabba, the Minister of Agriculture Henry Musa Kpaka, SCADeP Project Coordinator Henry Kamara, Minister of works Dennis Sandy, paramount chieves and a host of senior government officers.

SCADeP Project Coordinator Dr. Henry Kamara highlighted the key roles of partners in the successful completion of the project.

Minister of Finance, Hon. Sheku Ahmed Fantamadi Bangura, hailed the grand infrastructural achievement and appealed to the World Bank to further consider supporting the road leading to the new structure.

Minister of Agriculture, Henry Musa kpaka, commended the project implementation team and noted the strategic importance of agricultural market access. He outlined major 2025 achievements under the Feed Salone Programme, including the establishment of a seeds testing lab, research stations, weather index insurance, and a financing scheme totalling $24 million for farmers.

World Bank Country Manager Abdu Mwonge pointed to the bridge’s economic significance especially for the cocoa, coffee, and oil palm sectors which are predominant within the area. Gendema he said, has transformed to a cosmopolitan town and that the bridge will facilitate access to essential services for thousands.
In his keynote, President Bio described Gendema bridge commissioning as “timely and meaningful”.

“This bridge not only links Simbaru, Wandor and Golama Mende but effectively connects the North, South, and Eastern regions—bringing benefits to farmers, traders, pregnant women, schoolchildren, and the sick who now have safer and faster access to essential services. This is meaningful and not cosmetic development,” the President said.

He reaffirmed his government’s commitment to enhance democracy and human capital development, stressing that education remains the greatest out of poverty.

The president announced that apart from the four bridges are already being constructed, another four ferry crossing points across Sierra Leone will be converted into bridges totalling eight.
He assured the community that he will further engage the World Bank for the roads leading to the Gendema Bridge to be constructed.

SCADeP/MAFS COMPLETES A SIGNIFICANT MILE STONE IN MARKET ACCESS IMPROVEMENT

In a well attended commissioning ceremony at the Mattru court barry in the Mattru township, the president of Sierra Leone Rtd. Brig. Julius Maada Bio has commissioned the Mattru Senehun bridge. The bridge replaces a colonial relic (Manual hand drawn cable ferry)

This marks a historic moment for the people of Jong Chiefdom as the manual cable ferry and dug out conoes previously used posed a lot of challenges to commuters, especially at the height of the rainy seasons.

The bridge, which was constructed by Sino Hydro and Sino Hydro 9 joint ventures, is 160 meters long and is built to last for 100 years.

SCADeP, a project under the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, was tasked with management and fijudiciary oversight in collaboration with the Sierra Leone Roads Authority (SLRA) and Marsiswe/ICS a joint international and local engineering consulting firm to build the bridge following prescribed specifications.

The bridge is the first of a batch of four, which are in advanced stages of construction pending commissioning.

Funding for the construction was done by the World Bank after an appeal by HE, the president, to specifically replace manual cable ferries along major rivers in the country with standard capital driven modern bridges.

The economic benefits of the bridges are immense, ranging from an increase in agricultural commercialization, improved logistical movements, ease in market access for farmers and their produce, reduction in traffic and travel time, boost in security respons time and much more.

The remaining bridges currently under construction; Gendema, Manowa, and Tompare, will be commissioned in due time.

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