Author: gleanernewspaper

Sierra Rutile Limited and Ecobank have signed a USD 40 million senior secured loan facility, which will be critical to advancing the Sembehun expansion project in Sierra Leone. The agreement, signed on the second day of the 2026 Mining Indaba, is the first phase of a USD 70 million syndicated facility led by Ecobank Sierra Leone, with participation from Ecobank Ghana.The funding is specifically designated to facilitate the acquisition and relocation of the Kwale Mineral Sands Processing Plant to the Sembehun site, a move Sierra Rutile claims will significantly alter the project’s economics. By repurposing an existing, high-quality processing plant…

President Julius Maada Bio and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan Signing a comprehensive economic agreement, the UAE and Sierra Leone commit to deeper collaboration in the areas of artificial intelligence, water, energy, and regional security.  To strengthen their relationship and broaden their collaboration across economic, technological, and development priorities, President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates and President Julius Maada Bio of the Republic of Sierra Leone met in Abu Dhabi on Monday, February 2, 2026, as part of the World Governments Summit 2026.  The visit was centred on the signing of…

On the fringes of the World Governments Summit in Dubai in February 2026, Hon. Mohamed Rahman Swaray, the Minister of Employment, Labour, and Social Security for Sierra Leone, had high-level talks with His Excellency Dr Abdulrahman Abdulmannan Al Awar, the Minister of Human Resources and Emiratization for the United Arab Emirates. The meeting resulted in a specific follow-up commitment on job creation and skill development for Sierra Leoneans, as well as a reaffirmation of the two nations’ bilateral cooperation on labour issues.In addition to thanking the United Arab Emirates for its years of support in a variety of sectors, Minister…

February 2026 — Her Excellency Rasha Soliman, Egyptian Ambassador to Sierra Leone, paid a courtesy visit to Sierra Leone’s Minister of Youth Affairs, Mr Ibrahim Sannoh, during a meeting that reaffirmed both countries’ commitment to strengthening youth development cooperation. The session, held at the Ministry of Youth Affairs (MOYA), served as a progress review of action points agreed upon during their previous engagement, with a focus on translating diplomatic goodwill into tangible, youth-centred outcomes.Ambassador Soliman provided updates on implementation efforts and ongoing initiatives aimed at empowering young people in Sierra Leone and strengthening bilateral youth-focused collaboration. The discussions centred on…

Sierra Leone’s Chief Minister, Dr David Moinina Sengeh, launched the Artificial Intelligence Forum at the World Governments Summit in Dubai in February 2026, using the platform to outline his country’s ambitious digital transformation agenda and advocate for an AI approach that prioritises equity and social justice. Speaking on behalf of a government that has prioritised technology in its development strategy, Dr Sengeh emphasised the importance of leveraging digitisation to improve everyday life for citizens across the country, not only to accelerate growth but also to reduce long-standing inequalities.Dr Sengeh explained that Sierra Leone’s drive to mainstream technology is rooted in…

Following a high-level meeting in Kingston on February 3, Jamaica and Sierra Leone have renewed their partnership, which will focus on youth leadership, cultural reconnection, and institutional resilience. Edmund Bartlett, Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, and Nabeela Tunis, Sierra Leone’s Minister of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, discussed coordinated plans for Global Tourism Resilience Day, as well as a broader cultural and capacity-building program aimed at strengthening ties between the Caribbean and West Africa.The ministers met at Jamaica’s Ministry of Tourism in New Kingston to coordinate preparations for Global Tourism Resilience Day on February 17, 2026, and to advance shared initiatives aimed…

The Ministry of Planning and Economic Development (MoPED) and the ECOWAS National Office in Freetown wrapped up a week-long district-level sensitisation campaign in Kambia, Kabala, Kono, and Magburaka from February 2–5, 2026. In order to increase public awareness of ECOWAS’s activities in Sierra Leone and the larger West African sub-region, the outreach was held at district council halls and the Dr Ernest Bai Koroma Hall in Magburaka Town.Throughout the visits, the delegation interacted with a variety of people from the community, including local government representatives, security personnel, educators, primary and secondary school students, civil society organisations, traders, commercial motorbike riders,…

Jamal and Daniel Shallop Netpage (SL) Limited, the company responsible for Sierra Leone’s e-passport system, has been accused of failing to pay royalties to the state and profiting from a questionable procurement process. Jamal Shallop, the company’s CEO, is of Lebanese descent. According to multiple audit reports and investigations by governance organisations, Netpage formed a joint venture with the Government of Sierra Leone and British printer Thomas De La Rue (DLR) to position Netpage as the local service provider and revenue collector, while DLR retained printing rights. The contract was signed in February 2013 with a ten-year term ending in December…

In September 2025, a small, mission-driven nonprofit founded by a Peace Corps volunteer celebrated its twentieth anniversary. The Washington-based Schools for Salone (SfS) has been expanding access to education in Sierra Leone since 2005. To date, SfS has built 47 schools, mostly in last-mile rural communities. A gathering of supporters came together at the Swedish Club in Seattle, marking two decades of service, impact, and friendship between Sierra Leoneans and Americans. Allison Sinning, who became Executive Director in January, succeeding SfS founder Cindy Nofziger, views the anniversary as both a time for celebration and reflection. “Schools for Salone’s founding mission…

Dr Sania Nishtar, Chief Executive Officer of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, praised President Julius Maada Bio for his global leadership and unwavering commitment to immunisation during a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the World Governments Summit 2026 in Dubai on Tuesday, February 3, 2026. Dr Nishtar thanked President Bio for his role in last year’s replenishment summit and announced that Gavi had raised $10 billion since the Brussels summit to support vaccine programs around the world.Dr Nishtar praised Sierra Leone for its commitment to vaccine equity, sustainable health financing, and bolstering immunisation systems, highlighting the nation as a regional…