Business Daily

Use BBC.com or the new BBC App to listen to BBC podcasts, Radio 4 and the World Service outside the UK.

Find out how to listen to other BBC stations

World Service,·15 Jun 2026,·19 mins

Off the coast of Sierra Leone, Sherbro Island has been earmarked for an ambitious transformation: a new centre for international business and investment, designed to rival cities like Singapore or Hong Kong. The BBC’s Ed Butler travels to the island to investigate the project and speaks to developer Siaka Stevens, who is leading the effort alongside supporters including film-star Idris Elba, about the vision and what it will take to deliver it. But how realistic is the ambition, and can it become more than a promise? Presenter/producer: Ed Butler Editor: Stephen Ryan Each Monday on Business Daily, we take you around the globe to the heart of the stories and meeting those living through them. You can email the team: businessdaily@bbc.co.uk