November, 2025, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission held a groundbreaking ceremony and formally handed over sites for the construction of a modern Joint Border Post (JBP) straddling the Jendema-Bo Waterside border between Sierra Leone and Liberia.
The two-sided facility, located in Jendema, Sorogbema Chiefdom, Pujehun District (Sierra Leone) and Bo Waterside, Grand Cape Mount County (Liberia), is expected to be completed in 24 months and is entirely funded by the ECOWAS Commission.
The two-sided facility, located at Jendema in Sorogbema Chiefdom, Pujehun District (Sierra Leone) and Bo Waterside in Grand Cape Mount County (Liberia), is expected to be completed in 24 months and is entirely funded by the ECOWAS Commission. Damtien Tchintchibidja stated that for 50 years, ECOWAS has been a champion of free movement and economic integration, and urged the contractor to complete high-quality work on time. She framed the JBP as part of ECOWAS’ institutional evolution into a people-centred organisation that provides tangible benefits to communities along member-country borders.
Sierra Leone’s Deputy Minister of Development and Economic Planning, Rev. Dr Jonathan Titus Williams, praised President Julius Maada Bio’s commitment to regional integration and characterised the JBP as a long-term investment in shared prosperity. Dr Williams urged local communities to take ownership of the facility and urged the contractor to maintain the highest levels of professionalism, assuring that his government would provide the necessary assistance to ensure its successful completion.
The Jendema and Bo Waterside sites are large: the Sierra Leone side covers about 20.26 acres, while the Liberian side covers approximately 18.10 acres.
The Joint Border Post will be divided into separate zones for passenger transport, cargo handling, transit, and inspection. The planned infrastructure includes an administrative building, a rest shelter, Customs Brigade facilities, inspection areas, a weighbridge, a scanner control area, and ECOWAS breaks ground on Jendema-Bo Joint Border Post to Improve Regional Trade and Connectivity.
On Saturday, November 22, 2025, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission held a groundbreaking ceremony and formally handed over sites for the construction of a modern Joint Border Post (JBP) straddling Sierra Leone’s Jendema-Bo Waterside border with Liberia.
The two-sided facility, located in Jendema, Sorogbema Chiefdom, Pujehun District (Sierra Leone) and Bo Waterside, Grand Cape Mount County (Liberia), is expected to be completed in 24 months and is fully funded by the ECOWAS Commission. Local and regional leaders praised the project as a catalyst for greater cooperation and socioeconomic development. The Paramount Chief of Sorogbema Chiefdom, Mustapha Massaquoi, praised President Bio and recalled that the former Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Hon. Sidi Tunis, championed the idea of a joint facility in the area four years ago. Chief Massaquoi also praised Sierra Leone’s ambassadors in Guinea and Liberia, emphasising the border post’s unifying potential, claiming that the communities on both sides are “one people.”
Other dignitaries who spoke at the event included Dr Hassan Morlia, a representative from Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, who described the project as a watershed moment in bilateral relations and a tangible expression of friendship between the two countries and ECOWAS. He emphasised the facility’s ability to create jobs for youth and “build bridges” that connect people across the border.
Liberian government representatives, including the Deputy Minister of Economic Development, the Attorney-General, and the Minister of Justice, expressed support for regional cooperation. Liberia’s deputy minister stated that community levies and ECOWAS funds are being allocated to such infrastructure to benefit border communities. The Liberian Attorney-General emphasised that the project would have a transformative impact on livelihoods on both sides of the border, citing ECOWAS’s overall progress in the region over the previous five decades.
The ceremony included a PowerPoint presentation about the project, the formal laying of foundations, and the official handover of the two construction sites to the appointed contractors. ECOWAS emphasised accountability and urged contractors to strictly adhere to deadlines and quality standards so that the facility can deliver the expected gains in efficiency and cross-border integration.
Once completed, the Jendema-Bo Joint Border Post is expected to make crossings easier, improve processing times for people and cargo, lower trade costs, increase border safety, and strengthen social and economic ties between Sierra Leone and Liberia — all of which are key goals of ECOWAS’s push for a more integrated and prosperous West Africa.
