Fatima Bio Hosts Gabonese First Lady
By Marion Rion Bangura
First Lady of Sierra Leone, Dr. Fatima Maada Bio, has hosted her Gabonese counterpart, Her Excellency Mrs. Zita Oligui Nguema, to a special dinner in Freetown, celebrating the enduring bonds of friendship, sisterhood and cooperation between Sierra Leone and Gabon.
The dinner, held at the Lagonda Hotel in Aberdeen, formed part of the visit of the Gabonese First Lady to Sierra Leone and brought together distinguished guests from across the country.
Dr. Fatima Bio warmly welcomed Mrs. Zita Oligui Nguema to Sierra Leone, describing her visit as an opportunity to strengthen the longstanding relationship between the two West and Central African nations.
The gathering also provided an opportunity for the two First Ladies to reflect on the broader bonds that unite African women and leaders, particularly their shared commitment to advancing the welfare of women, girls and vulnerable communities across the continent.
Reflecting on her engagements in Luanda, Angola, Dr. Fatima Bio highlighted the importance of solidarity among African First Ladies and expressed appreciation to her Gabonese counterpart for the support she has provided during her tenure as President of the Organization of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD).
Under Dr. Fatima Bio’s leadership of OAFLAD, the organization has continued to advocate for initiatives aimed at improving the lives of women and girls, while strengthening the collective voice of African First Ladies in addressing pressing social and development challenges.
Dr. Fatima Bio said the support and solidarity of her fellow First Ladies had been instrumental in advancing the objectives of the organization and fostering stronger partnerships across Africa.
The dinner therefore served not only as a diplomatic engagement but also as a celebration of the personal bonds of sisterhood that have developed among African First Ladies through their shared work and responsibilities.
On behalf of her husband, His Excellency President Dr. Julius Maada Bio, the First Lady extended appreciation to the distinguished guests who honoured her invitation and joined the special occasion.
She noted that their presence demonstrated Sierra Leone’s tradition of hospitality while reinforcing the longstanding friendship, mutual respect and cooperation existing between Sierra Leone and Gabon.
The visit also provided an opportunity for the two countries to showcase Sierra Leone’s growing infrastructure and development strides.
As the Gabonese delegation prepared to depart Sierra Leone, President Dr. Julius Maada Bio, together with the President of Gabon, His Excellency General Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, and First Lady Zita Oligui Nguema, toured the state-of-the-art Julius Maada Bio International Conference Centre in Lungi.
The facility, which is positioned as an important venue for high level national, regional and international engagements, offered the visiting delegation an opportunity to see another side of Sierra Leone’s evolving infrastructure landscape.
Dr. Fatima Bio described the farewell as a memorable conclusion to the visit, expressing hope that the Gabonese First Lady and her delegation had enjoyed experiencing Sierra Leone through the country’s three unique means of transportation by land, by sea and by air.
She wished the delegation a safe journey home and expressed optimism that Mrs. Zita Oligui Nguema would return to Sierra Leone in the near future.
The visit underscored the importance of people to people connections and high level diplomatic engagements in strengthening relations between African countries.
For Dr. Fatima Bio, the occasion was also a reaffirmation of the values that have shaped her engagement with fellow African First Ladies solidarity, friendship, unity and a shared determination to contribute to a stronger and more inclusive Africa. As Sierra Leone bid farewell to its distinguished Gabonese guests, the warm reception and exchanges between the two First Ladies further reflected the enduring ties between Freetown and Libreville, while creating renewed opportunities for cooperation in areas of mutual interest
