The process finally left Britain poorer, but leaner and meaner and at last able to successfully macro-manage its economy untroubled by external reserve-currency issues.
The country's external reserves dipped from $43.5bn£30bnbn) in January 2014 to $29.4bn at the end of 2015.
We needed external funding for relief materials because the country's external reserves had been plundered to zero.
Exports are rising, along with the country's external reserves, while import restrictions are loosening on hundreds of products.
The Bank of Sierra Leone is the country's central bank; it issues currency (the leone), maintains external reserves, and acts as banker and financial adviser to the government.
Earlier in the year Nigeria's prospects had looked hopeful to achieve the Millennium Development Goals and realize its Vision 2020: the average growth rate was about 6.9%; external reserves amounted to about $63 billion; the naira (national currency) had appreciated significantly against leading currencies; and the non-oil sector showed strong performance.
Once market participants doubt, for whatever reason, the ability of a developing or emerging economy's central bank to meet its commitment to redeem it currency in hard currency at the promised rate, they will race to claim the country's external reserves.
But China's huge external surplus and international reserve accumulation won't go away.
So far, Chinese economic data have continued to disappoint, and after last week's Lunar New Year holiday, a batch of fresh data this week will give the market more insights into credit creation, external trade and international reserves.
They also took advantage of the boom years (2003-08), rexternalexternal vulnerabilities and increasing savings (fiscal and international reserves).
More than two-thirds of the inflows have been accumulated as international reserves by central banks or as external assets by the private sector.
