China signs MOU with Sierra Leone to build New Koya City and Airport (2)

Once approved, the approved company will invite proposals from potential private sector developers to construct a city enclave on 21,000 (twenty one thousand acres of land) comprising a Presidential complex complete with offices and residences for the President and Vice President, a parliamentary complex complete with a new parliament building as well as offices and residencies for Members of Parliament, a Judiciary complex, complete with all levels of courts and residences for judges and magistrates, offices and residences for ministers and all government Ministries, departments and agencies, hotels which will be needed immediately the airport opens for business in 2022, shopping malls, business and conference centres, as well as affordable, middle level and high end level housing estates; essentially all the components of a new city.

The Economic Free Trade and Manufacturing Zone, distinct from the Koya municipality will be also developed for the establishment of tax Free Trade enclaves and factories.

The project will essentially expand the vulnerable, congested and old city of Freetown to a 50 mile radius.

Chinese and Sierra Leonean officials celebrating the historic event

“As it is, Freetown cannot be modernized or expanded; the best chance for growth as we build the new airport is to build a new city simultaneously,” says Sierra Leone’s Transport Minister, Leonard Balogun Koroma, and added that the construction of the New airport will address the long standing problem of the sometimes cumbersome estuary crossing between Lungi and Freetown and for the first time give Sierra Leone an alternative airport in the mainland.

Following the conclusion of the process, His Excellency President Ernest Bai Koroma of Sierra Leone will officially launch the much anticipated Mamammah International Airport project on Thursday, March 1st, 2018 at Mamammah.

The estimated cost of Phases 1 and 2 of the project is $318, 000, 000 (Three Hundred and Eighteen Million Dollars) with phase 1 expected to be completed in 2022 after which the airport will become operational.

The project is expected to create over 4000 (four thousand) jobs over the 4 years construction period.