Ms. Fatima Mahawa Sandi

Fatima Mahawa Sandi is the Deputy Executive Director (DED) of the National Investment Board (NIB) of Sierra Leone. She is in charge supporting the country’s strategic efforts to attract and facilitate high-impact foreign and domestic investment, advancing investment reforms, policy initiatives, and institutional strategies aimed at fostering sustainable economic growth and creating an enabling environment for investors.

Prior to joining the NIB, she had over 15 years of experience in the public sector in Sierra Leone, spanning financing & fiduciary management, value for money procurement strategies, investment portfolios oversight supported by leading international financial institutions and development partners, including the World Bank, DFID, the African Development Bank, and the Islamic Development Bank.

Outside of work, she is actively promoting Sierra Leone’s cultural heritage and community development through the Ma Dengn Association. This organization showcases Sierra Leonean culture through music, food, arts and crafts, fashion, and literature, while contributing to the promotion of tourism and preservation of indigenous heritage. Her passions also include advancing the well-being and empowerment of women and girls. In 2015, she founded the Nyali Foundation, an organization focused on supporting vulnerable women and girls in Sierra Leone, promoting mental health awareness, and advancing women’s health and wellness initiatives.