Author: gleanernewspaper

The University of Sierra Leone (USL) made history on March 13, 2024, when it named Paramount Chief Dr. Magrette Darboh as its new Chancellor. Dr. Darboh, the first female Chancellor appointed by USL, has a master’s degree in Curriculum Development from the University of Sussex in the United Kingdom and a PhD in Education with a focus on Early Childhood Education from Fourah Bay College-USL. Dr. Darboh has taught at the former Freetown Teachers’ College, now Freetown Polytechnic, and is currently a Lecturer in Early Childcare and Development at FBC-USL. Her appointment as Chancellor demonstrates a commitment to excellence and…

Muslims attend prayers, as the month of Ramadan nears to an end, along a street in New York City on April 21, 2023 [File: Reuters/Shannon Stapleton] By Shaykh M A Kholwadia Government authorities and institutions try to influence society through whatever means available to them, be it through coercion or the media, education or popular culture. This is often met with an anti-establishment reaction from the general population. In recent times, there has been a trend on college campuses and among activist groups in the United States which may be described as anti-authoritarian. College students now often look askance at…

Rwandan President Paul Kagame and Angolan President João Lourenço Rwandan President Paul Kagame and Angolan President João Lourenço, met in Luanda on Monday to discuss security in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The meeting is part of an effort to find African solutions to African problems, with President Lourenço serving as the African Union mediator in the conflict between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. President Lourenço expressed grave concern about the ongoing insecurity in eastern DRC. President Felix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of the Congo has accused Rwanda of supporting rebels in the region,…

Director General of the National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, Mr. Amara Brewah Sierra Leone will play host to the West Africa Telecommunications Regulatory Assembly or WATRA on March 19 to 22, 2024. WATRA was established in November 2004 and is responsible for working with the telecommunications regulators of all 16 member states of ECOWAS to promote the adoption of regulations that stimulate economic growth through telecoms, deliver more affordable telecoms services to a greater number of West Africans, facilitate swift economic transactions using telecoms and improve wider and easier access to public services. Sierra Leone’s Minister of Communications, Technology and Innovation,…

CEO of Stats SL, Andrew Bob Johnny Sierra Leone’s Statistician-General and CEO of Stats SL, Andrew Bob Johnny, has returned home with renewed impetus to deliver on digitized credible data generation for Sierra Leone, after impressing at the 55th United Nations Statistical Commission session in New York. The 55th Session of the United Nations Statistical Commission, which took place in late February to early March 2024, discussed among other things the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics, National Accounts, Demographic and Social Statistics, Population and Housing Censuses, Big Data, Data Science and Data Communication and Dissemination. In one side event geared…

Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Communication, Technology, and Innovation recently welcomed Columbia Law School students to collaborate with final law students from Fourah Bay College – University of Sierra Leone. Their joint mission is to develop a recommendation framework for a digital tech startup bill that will be approved by Parliament. Madam Salima Bah, Minister of Communication, Technology, and Innovation, emphasized the need for tailored legislation to support tech startups, acknowledging that they require different treatment than established businesses. The goal is to develop a legal framework that covers a technology startup’s entire lifecycle, including incorporation, tax laws, duty waivers, and…

President Julius Maada Bio presided over the grand opening of the SABCO Sardine and Allied Products factory in Jui, just outside of Freetown, which represents a significant step forward in the country’s efforts to boost the private sector and create job opportunities for young people. The factory is one of the first private-sector investments in an industry that has the potential to employ up to one million young people in the coming years. During the inauguration ceremony, President Bio thanked the management and employees of SABCO Fishing Company for their dedication and hard work in bringing the factory to life.…

The Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP), one of the country’s oldest political parties, has a long tradition of governance and leadership. As the party looks to the future and the 2028 Presidential Elections, the list of potential successors to President Julius Maada Bio, as the party’s flagbearer, is growing. Among these contenders are Dr Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh, Dr Alie Kabba, Dr David Sengeh, Francis Ben Kaifala Esq, Alhaji Musa Tarawally, Dr Kandeh Yumkella, Andrew Jaiah Kaikai Esq. and others. The Gleaner Newspaper looks at the first list of names to come to light thus far. Vice President Dr Mohamed Juldeh…

Tenneh, aged 13, paddled her wooden canoe to school in Pujehun district, Sierra Leone. People facing rising seas, fiercer storms and hotter weather along Sierra Leone’s coast will benefit from a significant new US$26.8 million initiative announced today by the Green Climate Fund, Sierra Leone’s government and the NGO Save the Children. The Sierra Leone Coastal Resilience Project will empower communities to plan for climate change and improve their livelihoods. Aiming to reach 260,000 people directly, with an additional one million people expected to benefit from the initiative, which includes the conservation and restoration of 1,500 hectares of mangrove ecosystems. Working…

Sierra Leone’s Chief Minister, Dr David Moinina Sengeh, recently visited the delegation of the 13th African Games in Accra, Ghana. While travelling to Denmark for official business, the Chief Minister took the time to motivate and uplift the national athletes and officials competing in the esteemed sporting event. The Chief Minister supported the athletes and underlined the government’s commitment to sports development when he visited the team at the University of Ghana’s Games Village. He assured the delegation that support for sports would rise in the lead-up to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, and stressed the importance of sports…