Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr OBE welcoming Zurich Mayor Corine Mauch and her delegation to Freetown
By John Baimba Sesay, Senior Communications Manager, Mayor’s Office
On 12 November 2025, Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr OBE, alongside Deputy Mayor Kweku Lisk, councillors, council staff and representatives from GOAL Sierra Leone, SLRA and SLRSA, officially welcomed Zurich Mayor Corine Mauch and her delegation, including UN-Habitat’s Regional Director for Africa, Oumar Sylla, to Freetown.
The visit was part of the CHF 2.5 million City-to-City Urban Regeneration Partnership between Freetown and Zurich, aimed at revitalizing Freetown’s Central Business District with improved lighting, greener spaces and stronger climate resilience. The project is implemented by GOAL Sierra Leone, with UN-Habitat providing technical oversight and SLRA and SLRSA as key partners.
At a ceremony at City Hall, Mayor Aki-Sawyerr presented Mayor Corine Mauch and her delegation with sash and keys to the city, symbolizing the strong friendship between Freetown and Zurich. The event included a guard of honour by the Freetown Metropolitan Police, a tour of key project sites in the Central Business District and the symbolic sod-turning to officially launch the five-year City-to-City Urban Regeneration Project.
Welcoming the delegation, Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr noted that the partnership supports Freetown City Council’s Transform Freetown, Transforming Lives agenda. She reflected on the 2019 meeting that sparked the collaboration, emphasizing that continued cooperation has driven its progress and will ensure its success.
Zurich Mayor Corine Mauch thanked Mayor Aki-Sawyerr and the Freetown City Council for the warm welcome and the symbolic keys to the city. She said she was delighted to finally experience Freetown’s vibrancy, praising the Council’s progress under Mayor Aki-Sawyerr’s leadership. Mayor Corine Mauch highlighted that the City-to-City partnership, launched in 2019, reflects Zurich’s international cooperation priorities and advances SDG 11 on sustainable cities and communities.
During the visit, the delegation also met with Vice President Dr. Mohamed Jalloh and other senior Government officials.
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