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On Friday, 4th April 2025, U.S. Ambassador Bryan Hunt delivered an important speech at the Foreign Service Academy of Sierra Leone, discussing U.S. priorities for Africa under the Trump administration.
He focused on the need for a stronger partnership with Sierra Leone, the growth of the private sector, and ensuring that U.S. assistance leads to real outcomes rather than creating unnecessary administrative layers.
In his address, the ambassador made it clear that “America First does not mean America alone,” but we need a radical “shifting of our foreign policy approach from assistance to investment, from conflict management to conflict resolution, and from government inefficiency to private sector innovation.” He pointed out that the U.S. approach must move from simply providing aid to fostering investments and from managing conflicts to resolving them. He stressed that the goal should be to encourage private sector innovation, not government inefficiency.
“The United States would continue to work for growth and development in Africa, but not at the expense of unfair trading practices,” Hunt explained. He also assured the audience that now was not the time to overstay illegally in the United States.
The ambassador concluded his speech with a note of optimism, saying, “I am confident, given our shared values and approaches, that what makes the United States stronger, safer, and more prosperous will do the same for Sierra Leone.”
The talk made it clear that U.S. priorities for Africa involve shifting the focus from aid to investment, promoting private sector growth, and ensuring sustainable development in Sierra Leone and beyond.
