Sierra Leone News Agency

Economic Comfor missionfor Africa (ECA) officials highlightethe importance of d regional coordinatioe Thursday,emphasisingg evidence-based policymaking, youth employment, and private-sector development. Participants demanded practical measures ensuring measurable development outcomes. The discussions took place during the third session at Lagoonda Hotel in Freetown, under the theme, "Unlocking the Potential of Young People in West Africa: Pathways to Employment, Economic Transformation and...

His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio has arrived in Dakar, Senegal, accompanied by First Lady Fatima Maada Bio, to participate in a summit on Sport and Development and attend the official opening ceremony of the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games. President Bio was received at the airport by Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye. The Youth Olympic Games bring together young athletes from around the world, offering a platform to compete while encouraging friendship, cultural exchange,...

Development officials and United Nations representatives have called for concrete, coordinated action to expand youth employment, transform regional economies and equip young people with the skills and opportunities they need to drive sustainable development. The call came during the opening session of the 29th Session of the Intergovernmental Committee of Senior Officials and Experts for West Africa, convened by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) in Freetown under the...

His Excellency President Dr Julius Maada Bio has called for a fundamental shift in Africa’s development approach, urging African nations to strengthen their capacity to produce, innovate, compete and negotiate with the rest of the world from a position of economic strength, rather than remain dependent on exporting raw materials and importing finished goods. Delivering the keynote address at the Elevate Africa Convening 2026 in Accra, Ghana, under the theme “Africa: Defining Her Future,”...

A total of 201,124 candidates from 1,043 schools across Sierra Leone registered for the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), with the release of results revealing significant concerns over suspected examination malpractice and performance in key subjects. According to the results highlights released on Tuesday, the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has published the results of 200,756 candidates, while the results of 368 candidates from five private schools...

Livestock Director Saidu Bamayange urged stronger One Health measures Thursday to tackle Antimicrobial Resistance and boost production. Sierra Leone marked World Food Day, convening farmers, veterinary professionals and development partners. The event showcased innovations and raised awareness on food security, food safety and responsible antimicrobial use. Addressing the ceremony, Bamayange highlighted the interconnection between human, animal, plant and environmental health. He noted that...

EBK University, Magburaka, Tonkolili District, Thursday, 22 October 2026-His Excellency President Dr Julius Maada Bio has called for accelerated agricultural transformation through modern technology, increased local production and agro-processing, declaring that Sierra Leone must produce more of the food it consumes to strengthen national security, create jobs and reduce dependence on imports. Speaking at the World Food Day celebration and launch of the third-year report of the Feed Salone...

Technical Higher Education Ministry unveiled its 2027 Manpower Plan Budget Estimates Thursday, spotlighting staffing gaps and quality education priorities. The presentation took place at the Public Service Academy, OAU Drive, State Avenue, Freetown, under the theme "Expanding the Human Resource Base of Government in Enhancing Quality Public Service Delivery." The event brought together the Ministry’s Senior Permanent Secretary, directors, staff, and Human Resource Management Office officials...

-Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs David Fortune chaired an Inter-Agency Meeting at the Immigration Conference Room, discussing operational challenges and strengthening coordination among agencies under the Ministry. The meeting brought together Permanent Secretary Ngaugah, Deputy Secretary Catherine H. Kekura and representatives from the Sierra Leone Immigration Department, Sierra Leone Police, National Fire Force, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, National Civil Registration...

Government officials and local authorities called for effective decentralisation and improved service delivery during the Civic Day Series held at the Western Area Rural District Council Hall in Waterloo. The engagement, organised by the Ministry of Information and Civic Education under the theme "Next Stop: WARDC Council Hall Waterloo," focused on local government restructuring, citizen participation and bringing governance closer to the people. Decentralisation Secretariat Director Alex...

Statistics Sierra Leone Director of Communication and Public Relations Samuel Ansumana intensified the awareness campaign for the 2026 Population and Housing Census Tuesday at the MOICE Civic Festival in Waterloo, Western Area District Council. Addressing participants, Ansumana emphasised accurate population data's critical importance as the country counts down to the upcoming national census. He stated censuses are conducted every ten years, noting these exercises provide essential baseline...

The Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education, Hon. Conrad O. Sackey, has reaffirmed his commitment to reducing learning poverty and improving foundational learning outcomes in Sierra Leone during the launch of the dissemination of the Primary 0 (P0) and Primary 2 (P2) National Learning Assessment Report. The event, held on Tuesday, 20 October 2026, focused on the importance of assessing learning outcomes at the foundational level and using evidence-based approaches to address...

Agriculture and Food Security Minister Dr. Henry Musa Kpaka declared President Julius Maada Bio's flagship Feed Salone initiative central to Sierra Leone's drive to increase local production, improve food security, and create economic opportunities. Speaking at the opening of the sixth edition of the Market for Agricultural Innovations and Technologies (MITA 2026) at Bintumani Hotel, Freetown, Dr. Kpaka said recent global crises exposed food supply chain vulnerabilities, making stronger...

-Vice President Dr Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh cited encouraging progress in domestic rice production and food security, driven by the Government's flagship Feed Salone programme. Speaking at the Sixth Market for Agricultural Innovations and Technologies (MITA 2026) in Freetown on 19 October, the Vice President disclosed rice self-sufficiency rose from 68 per cent in 2023 to 73 per cent in 2025, while severely food-insecure households declined 28 per cent to 13 per cent over the same period. "We...

MBSSE Chief Education Officer Edward Kpaka officially launched the District Disability-Inclusive Focal Points (DDIFPs) Programme during a two-day Freetown workshop organised by Sightsavers and development partners. The initiative forms part of Project 57029 implementation, titled Strengthening District Systems for Disability-Inclusive Education Sierra Leone. The project aims to strengthen coordination, monitoring, accountability, and institutional capacity, promoting inclusive education...

Deputy Finance Minister II Isata Marah opened three-day stakeholder engagement Sierra Leone proposed consolidated Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) database Wednesday, calling stronger national coordination combating illicit financial flows. Financial Intelligence Agency (FIA) organised forum partnership Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering West Africa (GIABA), held Radisson Blu Hotel under theme "From Fragmented Information to...

Moyamba District, Saturday, 17 October 2026- His Excellency President Dr Julius Maada Bio has concluded a series of field visits and symbolic harvesting ceremonies at major agricultural sites in Moyamba District, showcasing the contributions of private farmers, women-led agribusiness and the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF) to the Government’s Feed Salone initiative ahead of World Food Day. The visits highlighted three complementary interventions in the drive to strengthen...

Senior Ministry of Mines and Mineral Resources and National Minerals Agency (NMA) officials engaged nine Peace Diamond Trade Mission delegation members Thursday, discussing efforts to promote responsible diamond trading, strengthen traceability, and increase diamond mining benefits for local communities. The meeting, held in the Ministry Conference Room, formed part delegation visit Sierra Leone October 11-16, 2026. The mission brings international jewellery professionals and diamond industry...

-Lands Minister Dr. Turad Senesie tabled two key regulatory instruments. These instruments strengthen Sierra Leone's country planning and land administration. These regulations implement the National Country Planning Act 2025 and the National Land Commission Act 202,2 respectively. They are the National Country Planning Regulations 2026 and the National Land Commission (Land Registration) Regulations 2026. Tabling marks an important step in operationalising land and country planning laws....

His Excellency President Dr Julius Maada Bio has inspected the construction site of the 108.4-megawatt Nant Power Plant in Kissy, Freetown, where project officials assured him that the facility is on course to begin generating electricity in 2027. The multi-fuel Combined-Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT) power plant, designed to utilise liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG), represents a major investment in Sierra Leone’s energy infrastructure and a partnership involving the...

-Women and Girls Protective Service engaged advocacy groups, development partners, civil society organisations (CSOs) and child protection institutions. Girl Power Summit 2026 was held. Venue: Port Loko District. Date: October 13. Theme: 'Eliminating Harmful Traditional Practices and Early Forced Marriage.' The summit, supported by Save the Children, took place in Port Loko District and provided a platform for stakeholders to discuss the protection of girls’ rights and make commitments to...

Africell Sierra Leone has officially launched the fifth edition of the Freetown Africell Marathon, introducing a full 42.2-kilometre race for the first time as the company continues to promote healthy lifestyles, develop local sporting talent and position the competition as a major event on Sierra Leone’s sporting calendar. The 2026 edition, scheduled for December 6, will feature four categories: the 5-kilometre, 10-kilometre, half marathon of 21.1 kilometres and the full marathon of 42.2...

-Statistics Sierra Leone headquarters on Wednesday hosted National Council Paramount Chiefs delegates discussing vital national census procedures. National Chairman PC Masakma Madibie II, Kafe Chiefdom, Tonkolili District, strongly advocated continuous grassroots involvement in national census statistical data collection efforts. He stressed that local participation is crucial to ensuring an accurate, transparent census process, highlighting traditional leaders' significant roles, especially...

Sierra Leone unveiled its $760 million agrifood investment plan at the Hand-in-Hand Investment Forum at FAO Headquarters in Rome. Agriculture and Food Security Minister Hon. Dr. Henry Musa Kpaka pitched the plan, positioning Sierra Leone as a prime destination for agrifood investment. Minister Kpaka said Sierra Leone possesses 5.4 million hectares of arable land, with only 15 percent currently cultivated, reliable rainfall, a youthful workforce, and a President who has made agriculture the...

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation has held a one-day capacity-building training to strengthen institutional preparedness, improve inter-agency coordination, and support effective implementation of the Third-Country National Agreement. The training, held at the Ministry’s Conference Room at Tower Hill, Freetown, brought together government officials, representatives of Kenvah Solutions, consultants from DRESQ Limited, and other participants involved in implementing...

Sierra Leone and Russia reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening educational cooperation, with discussions focusing on scholarships, Russian-language training, technical and vocational education, scientific research, and institutional partnerships during the Second Russian-African Raw Materials Dialogue in St. Petersburg, October 12-17, 2026. Deputy Minister of Technical Higher Education Sarjoh Aziz-Kamara held bilateral talks with Russian Deputy Minister Konstantin Mogilevsky at Saint...

Sierra Leone and Russia reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening educational cooperation, with discussions focusing on scholarships, Russian-language training, technical and vocational education, scientific research, and institutional partnerships during the Second Russian-African Raw Materials Dialogue in St. Petersburg, October 12-17, 2026. Deputy Minister of Technical Higher Education Sarjoh Aziz-Kamara held bilateral talks with Russian Deputy Minister Konstantin Mogilevsky at Saint...

Geneva, Switzerland, Tuesday 13 October 2026- His Excellency President Dr Julius Maada Bio has outlined five priorities for securing lasting peace in Africa, calling for stronger democratic institutions, preventive diplomacy, regional cooperation, people-centred security and sustainable financing for African-led peace operations. Delivering a keynote lecture titled ”Building Lasting Peace in Africa: The Catalytic Role of ECOWAS” at the Geneva Graduate Institute in Switzerland, as part of its...

The Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs (MoGCA) has reaffirmed the Government of Sierra Leone’s commitment to protecting girls’ rights, ending child marriage and expanding access to education, healthcare and opportunities for personal development. The commitment was renewed during the 2026 International Day of the Girl Child commemoration, held on 11 October at Port Loko District Council Hall under the theme, “End Child Marriage and Invest in the Girl Child.” Delivering the keynote...

-Sierra Leone and Germany have concluded two days of government consultations, reaffirming their commitment to stronger development coordination, improved project implementation and sustainable investment. The closing session, held on 9 October 2026 at the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development (MoPED) conference room in Freetown, brought together Planning and Economic Development Minister Kenyeh Barlay, Acting Development Secretary Usman Cherry Conteh, representatives of the German...

Sierra Leone and Germany have explored opportunities to strengthen cooperation on critical minerals, responsible mining and economic diversification, with geological investigations, investment and technical expertise identified as key priorities. The Ministry of Mines and Mineral Resources and the National Minerals Agency (NMA) held discussions with a German delegation in Freetown on 8 October 2026, focusing on ways to strengthen existing partnerships and support sustainable development of...

The Sierra Leone Correctional Service (SLCS) has launched Healing Through Harmony, an initiative designed to promote spiritual well-being, rehabilitation, and personal reformation among inmates and correctional officers. Launched on 8 October 2026 by the SLCS Directorate of Gender and Chaplaincy Unit at the Service’s Administrative Building in Freetown, the Music, Worship and Rehabilitation Programme operates under the theme, “Healing Through Harmony: Rebuilding Lives Through Music and...