Author: gleanernewspaper

Since launching operations in Sierra Leone in 2017, Edify Sierra Leone, which operates under the motto “Flourishing Godly Nations,” has been credited by heads of beneficiary schools with providing transformative capacity-building support that is reshaping how Christian schools operate, teach, and sustain themselves. In an exclusive round of interviews, head teachers, proprietors, and principals from Edify partner schools stated that the organisation’s programs have improved spiritual formation, administrative and financial systems, broadened learning through technology, and assisted schools in becoming more sustainable and accountable. Edify’s initial focus was on private schools like Beacon High, Agape Pre/Primary, Blossom, Nenneh, and Dunnet,…

Dr. Henry Musa Kpaka, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, with female farmers on the farm. The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (MAFS) has launched a $75 million Special Agro-Processing Zone (SAPZ), funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB), to boost rice production and agricultural productivity in Sierra Leone. The program will be implemented in Port Loko and Kambia districts, two of the country’s primary rice-producing regions, and is positioned as a key component of the government’s Feed Salone initiative. During the project’s preparatory phase, MAFS and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) conducted stakeholder consultations to review environmental and social safeguards, ensuring that…

On September 9, 2025, His Excellency Desmond Babatunde Edwards, Ambassador of the Republic of Sierra Leone, presented his Letter of Credence to President Michael D. Higgins at Áras an Uachtaráin, the official residence and principal workplace of the President of Ireland. Following his appointment late last year, Ambassador Edwards’ diplomatic mission in Dublin began officially with the presentation ceremony. Ambassador Edwards was accompanied to Áras an Uachtaráin by his wife, Mrs. Susan Edwards, two sons, Emmanuel and Isaac Edwards, and Mr. Tamba Juana, Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of the Republic of Sierra Leone. The delegation’s arrival was…

Alhaji Manika Kamara, President of the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ), has urged the Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) to become a truly independent public service broadcaster that represents and serves all citizens’ interests. Speaking on Tuesday at consultations on the SLBC Act 2010, Kamara described reform of the national broadcaster as both a media-sector priority and a democratic necessity. He argued that an SLBC free of government, partisan, and special-interest control would ensure equal access to diverse voices, raise programming standards, and contribute to national cohesion. According to Kamara, SLAJ’s participation in the review is part of a…

Jiwoh E. Abdulai, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, has requested full support from local authorities for the country’s first comprehensive National Forest Inventory (NFI) in more than 50 years. Speaking at a stakeholder engagement meeting on Monday, September 8, 2025, at Galliness Paradise in Bo, the Minister emphasised that the exercise is critical for sustainable forest management, climate action, and the country’s ability to access international climate financing. Minister Abdulai explained that the NFI will provide a current and accurate assessment of Sierra Leone’s forest cover, identify areas that need rehabilitation, and generate data for chiefdoms, district administrations, national…

On Tuesday, September 9, 2025, the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), through its Division for Public Institutions and Digital Governance (DPIDG), in partnership with the African Union’s African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) and the Government of Sierra Leone, launched a four-day training workshop aimed at accelerating the localization of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Agenda 2063 in Sierra Leone. Freetown — On Tuesday, September 9, 2025, the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), through its Division for Public Institutions and Digital Governance (DPIDG), in partnership with the African Union’s African…

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has delivered a new shipment of infection prevention and control (IPC) materials to Sierra Leone’s national health authorities, bolstering the country’s Mpox response as schools resume. The donation, made through the WHO African Regional Office, adds to the Government of Sierra Leone’s USD 1 million in financial and technical support since the outbreak was declared a Public Health Emergency in January 2025. The shipment includes a comprehensive package of IPC items that will be prioritised for distribution to hotspot districts’ health facilities and schools. The items provided include hand-wash sets, basic IPC commodities, 30L buckets…

By Kemo Cham Experts and government representatives have called for the need for collaboration to tackle one of the most pressing public health issues in West Africa – Lassa fever. The calls were made in the Ivorian capital, Abidjan, which is hosting the Second Lassa fever International Conference (ELFIC2025) which brings together scientists, researchers and policy makers to discuss progress and challenges in the fight against the haemorrhagic fever disease that is endemic to the region. In his welcoming statement, the host Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Pierre N’Gou Dimba, described Lassa fever as a public health threat to…

An important milestone for Sierra Leone’s creative and cultural industries was reached when the EU Delegation to Sierra Leone proudly attended the Creative Accelerator Pilot Program graduation ceremony and the launch of the Creative Economy Diagnostic Report at Creative Hub Africa (CHA). The event was attended by Ms. Nabeela Farida Tunis, the Honourable Minister of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, demonstrating the high level of government support for the growth of the industry. The event showcased the diversity and vitality of Sierra Leone’s creative talent in the fields of music, fashion, crafts, and audiovisual production by honouring 24 outstanding women-led businesses…

Minister of Finance,  Sheku Ahmed Fantamadi Bangura and Julius Mattai, Minister of Mines and Mineral Resources President Julius Maada Bio’s administration faces scrutiny following a substantial disparity in declared mining sector receipts for 2024. According to the Ministry of Mines and Mineral Resources and the National Minerals Agency (NMA), the non-tax mining sector generated $49.4 million between January and December 2024. However, the Ministry of Finance only received $16 million, leaving $33.4 million unaccounted for.  The Mines Ministry and NMA issued a detailed breakdown in response to the Finance Minister’s claims, revealing that total non-tax revenue increased to $49.4 million in 2024 from $32.7 million…