Chinese Government provides funding for Phase 8 of the National Stadium Technical Cooperation Project

Project narrative

In 2017, the Chinese Government committed funding to the Government of Sierra Leone for Phase 8 of the National Stadium Technical Cooperation Project. The monetary value of this financial commitment is unknown. In 2018, upon agreement between the Chinese and Sierra Leonean governments, the Chinese Government provided emergency reinforcement measures to rehabilitate the National Stadium in Freetown. This project included the reinforcement and maintenance of the main structure of the stadium, such as the audience platform and the supporting beams. This project consisted of two years of technical assistance from China to Sierra Leone. In July 2017, the eighth phase of the project sent 5 Chinese technicians to Sierra Leone to provide technical guidance on the maintenance of the equipment and facilities of the Sierra National Stadium, to conduct professional training for the Sierra Leonean National Stadium staff, and to carry out 82 street lights at the Sierra Leone National Stadium. On October 9, 2018, Chinese Ambassador, Wu Peng, and Economic and Commercial Counsellor, Zhang Xueqian, paid a visit to the construction site to inspect the National Stadium Reinforcement Project. The project was funded from the Chinese Government grant, the value of which is unknown. The project was completed on July 12, 2019, when the project handover ceremony was held. The purpose of this project was to support maintenance and rehabilitation of the stadium. The National Stadium was originally built with financial support from the Chinese Government in 1970s. The Chinese Government implemented eight phases of the National Stadium Technical Cooperation Project between 1996 and 2019 to support the maintenance and rehabilitation of the stadium.