NaCSA Leadership Excels in ESRM Training on Land Acquisition and Involuntary Resettlement...

*Kumasi Ghana, Tuesday 26th August 2025:* The Commissioner of the National Commission for Social Action (NaCSA), Ambassador Ernest Mbaimna Ndomahina accompanied by a team of experts key among them Senior Director Idris Turay are participating in the August 2025 edition of the Land Acquisition and Involuntary Resettlement – Essentials of Environmental and Social Risk Management (ESRM) course.

The two-week long training that commenced *on August 18 and ends August 28, 2025,* is being organized by the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and the Ghana Institute for Public Administration with technical and financial support from the World Bank.

Speaking in an exclusive interview, Ambassador Ndomahina reiterated the strategic significance of the training especially at this point in time in the history of Sierra Leone, in which the country has a national agenda that envisages the creation of *500,000 jobs, under the watch of His Excellency the President Dr. Julius Maada Bio.*

*This training is timely and important,* added the Commissioner. *"As a Commission, we are operating the Productive Social Safety Net and Youth Employment (PSSNYE) Project, a co-funded Government of Sierra Leone World Bank initiative. The project has already provided avenues, whether temporary or permanent, for employment. In order to make such a shift effective, we need to have information and tools to manage the environmental and social risks of development-induced displacement and land acquisition – issues that are commonly associated with large infrastructure and investment projects."*

Idris Turay, the senior director, overseeing the PSSNYE project implementation, reiterating the words of the Commissioner. He stressed that the training is very relevant for the project's operational requirements, especially its Sustainable Cash for Work sub-component, which entails extensive land use and community participation.

*“Although the PSSNYE Project’s land acquisition and involuntary resettlement framework is already comprehensive, it is vital that the Project Management Unit has practical knowledge of the principles and process spelt in the framework,* explained Turay. *“This training is based on enriched learning and the best experiences on the ground in the region. It prepares us for dealing with complex land-related issues more nuancedly and more sensitively.”*

The engagement of NaCSA's leadership in such a high-level training is a clear demonstration of the commission’s adherence to responsible development, social inclusion, and sustainable job creation. With Sierra Leone stepping up efforts to achieve national employment targets, such forms of capacity building continue to be essential to ensure that growth is inclusive and green.

*For further information on this and other matters, please contact:*

*The Information, Education and Communication Unit*

*+23278155556/+23277022709/+23230518539*