18/2/2022
Our city-to-city relationship with Monrovia was further strengthened this week through the participation of a Freetown City Council delegation in the 43rd Monrovia Day celebrations. Highlights of the visit include:
- A Cultural Renaissance Night during with I was truly humbled and grateful to be honored by Mayor Jefferson Koijee and the Monrovia City Corporation
- A Municipal Procession through the streets of Monrovia during which the Freetown City Council Metropolitan Police demonstrated their outstanding parade skills as we marched with municipal staff, representatives of the security sector and school children!
- The Monrovia Day Symposium and State of the City Address during which I was privileged to offer remarks on behalf of the City of Freetown
- A press conference with Mayor Jefferson Koijee, Mayor Talib Ahmed Bensouda of Kanifing, The Gambia and Mayor Elizabeth Sackey of Accra, Ghana. This media platform was used to share our plans for the establishment of a West African Cities Network which will foster closer working relationships and knowledge sharing opportunities among our cities, and eventually with other cities in the sub-region.
Practical demonstrations of the city-to-city learning that is already happening were highlighted, including the adoption by Kanifing of Freetown’s geo-mapping digital property rate system which is now operational in that city! #FreetownTheTreeTown has also inspired both Kanifing and Monrovia to include tree planting in their 2022 plans. Here in Freetown, inspired by the establishment of specific Youth Departments by Kanifing and Monrovia, Freetown City Council recently passed and implemented a resolution to create and staff a Youth and Sports Department which will enable us to more effectively prioritize youth focused activities.
We look forward to welcoming the Monrovia, Kanifing and Accra Mayors and their delegations to Freetown for the celebration of Freetown’s 230 Year Anniversary on 11th March!
TransformFreetown
FurtherTogether
©️Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr OBE
