“Diasporans Are Our 17th District”: Vickie Remoe Pushes Shift From Remittances to Investment

Sierra Leone’s diaspora is being described as more than a source of remittances, with VR&C Marketing founder Vickie Remoe. She urges Sierra Leone to treat its diaspora as part of the country and a potential source of long-term investment.

“Diasporans are our 17th district,” Remoe told reporters at a press briefing ahead of the 2026 Sierra Leone Diaspora Week.

Her argument is central to this year’s Sierra Leone Diaspora Investment Conference. The conference is part of a nine-day Diaspora Week, running from December 28, 2026, to January 5, 2027.

The programme brings diaspora investors, entrepreneurs, policymakers, returnees and local businesses together around investment, networking, culture and national development.

The conference will take place on December 28 and 29, organisers say. Sports and cultural activities, an investment bootcamp and a trade, agribusiness and eco-tourism tour will follow.

From Remittances to Investment

Diaspora Week in London

For Remoe, the central question is how Sierra Leone can move beyond remittances. The country needs ways to encourage the diaspora to invest directly in the economy.

She pointed to remittances as evidence of the diaspora’s existing economic connection with Sierra Leone.

World Bank data shows that personal remittances received by Sierra Leone amounted to about $320.8 million in 2024, equivalent to 4.6 percent of GDP. Remoe said no donor would write the country a cheque of that size.

Remoe said much of this money supports families with school fees, food, healthcare, and other household needs. But she wants the conversation to move further.

“The diaspora is already doing charitable work,” she said. “Our goal is to move from charity to investment for national development.”

She explained that philanthropy can support immediate needs, while investment can create businesses, generate employment, and contribute to tax revenues.

The Sierra Leone Diaspora Investment Conference has the same focus: moving from charity to investment.

Organisers say the conference has grown over four years. It began as a diaspora engagement gathering. It now connects diaspora capital with local businesses, policymakers and investment opportunities.

“The Wealthiest District”

Sierra Leone Diaspora Investment Week

Remoe’s “17th district” label aims to change how Sierra Leoneans think about citizens abroad.

She argued that a diaspora treated like a district would hold a large share of the country’s financial resources, education, skills and international connections.

The official conference programme similarly describes the diaspora as a source of financial, intellectual, and social capital that can contribute to national development. 

Remoe said the focus should therefore not only be on asking people abroad to send money home, but also on creating conditions that make them comfortable putting their money into businesses and other productive ventures in Sierra Leone.

This includes improving access to information, understanding the local market, and building confidence in investment opportunities.

The organisers’ current programme reflects that approach.

The conference will include investment roundtables, sector-specific discussions, an SME showcase and business-to-business and business-to-consumer linkages between diaspora investors, local entrepreneurs and returnees.

The January 4-5 investment bootcamp will also cover areas including business registration, tax navigation, capital readiness and strategic investment planning. 

Changing the Story About Sierra Leone

Journalists at Press Briefing of the Diaspora Week

Remoe also linked the initiative to the way Sierra Leone is perceived by its citizens abroad.

She said that during her travels, she noticed that Sierra Leoneans in the diaspora often heard more about politics and negative developments than about successful businesses and people creating change in the country.

The concern has become part of the wider philosophy behind her work.

The official Diaspora Week platform says the initiative is intended to connect global Sierra Leoneans with “the country’s people, opportunities, and future.” 

Remoe has previously described the conference as part of an effort to mobilise the financial, intellectual and social capital of Sierra Leoneans abroad.

In June 2026, the conference held its London edition. Organizers said it attracted more than 400 delegates. The London programme focused on moving “from remittances to structured diaspora investment” and included government, business and diaspora stakeholders. 

The Freetown edition will now bring that conversation closer to the investment opportunities inside Sierra Leone.

What Would Success Look Like?

Asked what success would mean for the December event, Remoe identified several outcomes.

The first, she said, would be for people to leave with a stronger belief that investment in Sierra Leone is possible.

The second would be actual business connections and deals.

The third would be knowledge from experts at the conference.

And beyond individual transactions, she said the event should contribute to changing the perception of December in Sierra Leone, traditionally associated with entertainment and festivities, by creating space for serious investment conversations.

That ambition is reflected in the structure of Diaspora Week.

The event will not be limited to conference rooms.

The official programme includes a Diaspora Sports Day and Beach Bonfire on December 30. Also partner-led activities around the New Year, cultural programming, an investment bootcamp and a Trade, Agribusiness and Eco-Tourism Tour on January 5. 

Seeing Investment on the Ground

Another issue raised during the briefing was trust.

For diaspora investors who have spent years outside Sierra Leone, conference presentations alone may not be enough to convince them to commit their money.

That is why the organisers are placing emphasis on physical exposure to businesses and investment projects.

The official conference programme says the Freetown summit will connect diaspora investors with in-country projects, policymakers and site visits designed to translate investment pledges into tangible projects. 

As one of the speakers at the briefing explained, seeing existing diaspora investments and businesses operating in Sierra Leone could give potential investors a clearer picture of what is possible.

The approach is also consistent with the organisers’ investment strategy.

In recent months, the conference team has been engaging financial institutions around what it calls a Capital Readiness Toolkit, intended to help diaspora investors assess whether their projects are prepared to access commercial loans, blended finance and other funding options. 

From Conference to Commitment

The challenge for Diaspora Week will ultimately be what happens after the speeches, networking and presentations.

The organisers are seeking to create a bridge between Sierra Leoneans abroad who have capital, skills and international connections and businesses and opportunities inside the country.

The conference has already visited several international cities, including London. In July, organisers announced that they had postponed the planned 2026 United States edition to June 2027 and shifted their focus to the Freetown programme.

Now, the spotlight turns to Freetown.

For Remoe, the message is straightforward: Sierra Leoneans abroad are not only people who send money home.

They can also be investors, entrepreneurs, employers, professionals and partners in national development.

If Sierra Leone truly treats its diaspora as the “17th district,” the question changes. It may no longer be how much money citizens abroad can send home. It may be how much of their capital, knowledge and connections can become businesses and opportunities inside the country.