The Turning of the Sod Ceremony for the Hilton Freetown Cape Sierra Hotel took place on the hotel site on Friday 16th September. The keynote address was given by His Excellency the President Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma who also performed the “turning of the sod”. The ceremony was attended by Kanayo Awani, Director of Trade Finance and Branches at Afreximbank and by Deepak Seth, Hilton Worldwide Vice President Development for North and West Africa who both gave opening statements. http://allafrica.com/stories/201109201161.html

The Minister of Tourism Hon. Victoria Saidu-Kamara with Kanayo Awani and Yacouba Coulibaly of Afreximbank

Keith Aki-Sawyerr, Managing Director of IDEA (UK) with Deepak Seth, Vice President Development, Hilton Worldwide

His Excellency the President, Dr Ernest Bai Koroma with Denis Stefanopulos, Chairman of IDEA (UK) and Trudy Morgan, Programme Director of IDEA (SL)

Members of the IDEA Team (from left to right): Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, Denis Stefanopulos, Trudy Morgan, Wilben Short, Rosetta Wilson, Keith Aki-Sawyerr

The United States Ambassador to Sierra Leone, Ambassador Michael Owen with Deepak Seth of Hilton Worldwide, Lagan Construction and IDEA (UK)