Ministry of Planning and Economic Development

Ms. Kenyeh Barlay currently serves as Sierra Leone’s Minister of Planning and Economic Development, appointed in July 2023 by His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio. With over 35 years of experience in planning, economic development, and public policy, she brings a wealth of expertise from both national government service and international development institutions.

Ms. Barlay began her career in 1984 at the then Ministry of Development and Economic Planning. She played a pivotal role in Sierra Leone’s post-conflict reconstruction by leading the African Development Bank-funded Social Action and Poverty Alleviation (SAPA) Programme. She subsequently served as Director of the National Commission for Social Action (NaCSA) Microfinance Programme and as Country Technical Adviser to the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) in Liberia.

Her regional leadership was further demonstrated through her coordination of the West African Agricultural Productivity Programme (WAAPP) for the Mano River Union from 2013 to 2016, focusing on agricultural innovation, rice productivity, and regional market integration.

Prior to her ministerial appointment, Ms. Barlay served as Executive Director at the African Development Bank, representing Sierra Leone and several other West African countries. During her tenure, she chaired strategic board committees and contributed to high-level decision-making on continental development financing.

Ms. Barlay holds a Master of Science in Social Planning from University College Swansea and a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Social Studies from the University of Hull, United Kingdom. She has also worked extensively as a consultant in areas such as poverty reduction, women’s empowerment, microfinance, agriculture, and strategic development planning. Her leadership continues to shape Sierra Leone’s national development agenda.