Freetown, November 26th 2025 – The newly appointed leadership of the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) paid a courtesy call on the Turkish Ambassador to Sierra Leone at the Embassy in Freetown.
The visit formed part of ongoing efforts to introduce the new leadership and foster strategic partnerships aimed at advancing effective disaster management across the country.
Speaking during the engagement, the newly appointed Director General of the NDMA, John V. Rogers, emphasized that the purpose of the visit was to formally introduce the leadership and explore collaborative opportunities in key areas such as disaster risk reduction, risk financing, risk communication, and humanitarian response operations.
He provided a brief background of the Agency’s establishment, highlighting its achievements and progress since inception. DG Rogers noted that the NDMA was established by His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio, reflecting the President’s strong commitment to ensuring that Sierra Leone is better prepared to manage and mitigate its vulnerabilities.
In response, the Turkish Ambassador to Sierra Leone, Burak RENDE, congratulated the new leadership and warmly welcomed the delegation to the Embassy. He expressed Turkey’s willingness to collaborate with the NDMA through the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA), noting that such cooperation would play a significant role in strengthening Sierra Leone’s disaster preparedness and response architecture.
The newly appointed Deputy Director General, Sulaiman Bockarie Sowa, also made a statement, assuring the Embassy of the Agency’s strong commitment to meaningful partnership.
“Our leadership is determined to deepen cooperation with partners who share our vision for a safer and more resilient Sierra Leone. We look forward to building practical, results-oriented collaborations with the Government and people of Turkey,” DDG Sowa remarked.
The NDMA delegation comprised the Director General, John V. Rogers; the Deputy Director General, Sulaiman B. Sowa; the Chief of Operations, Kai Banya; and the Director of Finance, Morie Basie Karteh.
The new NDMA leadership is commitment to leveraging international partnerships to build national resilience, improve preparedness, and enhance the Agency’s capacity to safeguard lives and livelihoods across the country.
