Author: gleanernewspaper

President Julius Maada Bio is facing mounting public anger three years into his second and constitutionally mandated term, as Sierra Leoneans struggle with escalating economic hardship and protracted power outages that are impairing daily life across the nation’s capital.  President Bio promised earlier this year that the year would be marked by “tangible action” and that people would start to experience the advantages of the foundations his administration has built over the previous eight years. He pledged to address the “bread and butter” issues, particularly the economy, during his campaign for a second term to provide Sierra Leone with steady growth…

UNICEF Representative, Rudolf Schwenk, and the Chinese Rep exchange partnership agreement at the official launch of a Strategic Health Partnership to Accelerate Newborn and Child Survival in Sierra Leone. The Chinese government, through the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA), announced a comprehensive partnership with Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Health and UNICEF to improve newborn and child health services throughout the country. The “Accelerating Newborn and Child Health in Sierra Leone for Improved Survival and Well-being” program aims to address care gaps that contribute to preventable deaths among newborns and young children. Sierra Leone has made progress in child survival…

H.E. Zhao Yong, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Sierra Leone, paid a courtesy call on Sierra Leone’s Minister of Energy, Mr Cyril Grant, today at the ministry’s headquarters in Freetown. The meeting provided an opportunity for both officials to review recent sector reforms and discuss areas for increased collaboration as Sierra Leone works toward an inclusive energy transition. Ambassador Zhao reaffirmed China’s commitment to assisting Sierra Leone in expanding access to affordable, dependable electricity, emphasising the importance of energy as a pillar of sustainable development. He stated that China is willing to expand cooperation in renewable energy…

His Excellency President Dr Julius Maada Bio used the platform of the World Customs Organisation’s 32nd Conference of Directors General of Customs and the West and Central Africa Region to advocate for stronger regional integration, more effective trade policy, and the rapid modernisation of customs administrations in West Africa. President Bio, who delivered the keynote address under the conference theme “A Customs Service that Protects Society Through Its Vigilance and Commitment,” stated that vigilance in customs administration must be institutionalised as a national obligation to protect security, economic stability, and public trust. President Bio described customs as a vital but…

KfW, Germany’s state-owned development bank, has formalised a new equity stake in African Trade & Investment Development Insurance (ATIDI), making it the insurer’s 13th institutional shareholder and strengthening one of Africa’s leading development insurers’ capacity to underwrite and catalyse trade and investment across the continent.The subscription agreement was signed at a high-level meeting in Nairobi attended by ATIDI CEO Manuel Moses and Germany’s Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, Reem Alabali Radovan. KfW’s participation in ATIDI is both a continuation of a long-standing partnership and a tangible demonstration of Germany’s commitment to strengthening economic ties with Africa and supporting…

A high-level World Bank delegation visited Sierra Leone’s new flagship solar installation in Newton, praising rapid construction progress and reiterating international support for the country’s transition to cleaner, more reliable power.Twelve Executive Directors went to the Regional Emergency Solar Power Intervention Project (RESPITE), a 30-megawatt solar photovoltaic facility with 12 battery storage units designed to stabilise the national grid and reduce reliance on costly emergency thermal generation. The delegation was led by Abdu Muwonge, World Bank Country Director for Sierra Leone, and welcomed by Minister of Energy Cyril Grant and Deputy Minister II Abdrahman Jalloh.The Newton plant was producing between…

May 2026 — His Excellency President Dr Julius Maada Bio has formally relaunched Sierratel as a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) in a strategic partnership with Africell, bringing the state-owned telecommunications provider back into Sierra Leone’s communications landscape. The move is intended to increase access to services, reliability, competition, and job opportunities for young people involved in the country’s growing digital economy.During the relaunch ceremony, President Bio described the decision as a deliberate and forward-thinking effort to reposition the telecommunications sector for the demands of the twenty-first century. “Today, we decide to connect differently and compete seriously. This launch is…

Over 80 community leaders and stakeholders from Turtle Island and other Sherbro Island communities in Deima Chiefdom, Bonthe District, have praised the Reptile and Amphibian Program-Sierra Leone (RAP-SL) for its conservation work. They have pledged continued support for efforts to protect sea turtles, manatees, mangroves, and coastal biodiversity.On Thursday, April 30, 2026, councillors, chairladies, headmen, harbour masters, fishermen, fishmongers, sea turtle monitors, and other key actors gathered at the Dama Chiefdom Administration Community Barry in Chepu for a RAP-SL sensitisation meeting. Paramount Chief Anshun Ngabay IV, the Speaker, and other local leaders emphasised tangible community benefits since the conservation campaign…

Mahesh Nandwani of Pee Cee and Sons President Dr Julius Maada Bio paid a high-profile visit to the Pee Cee and Sons onion farm at Loko Masama in Lungi on April 16, 2026, reaffirming his administration’s commitment to accelerating the Feed Salone initiative and strengthening national food security. The farm, one of Sierra Leone’s largest onion-producing farms, represents a growing wave of private-sector agricultural investment aimed at reducing import dependence and increasing domestic production. The Pee Cee and Sons operation, which spans extensive acreage, is a model of what government-private partnerships can achieve under the Feed Salone framework. Speaking at the event, President Bio emphasised that Sierra Leone…

Following a high-level meeting with an IMF mission in Sierra Leone, President Dr Julius Maada Bio reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to continuing fiscal and structural reforms and meeting the targets of the International Monetary Fund-supported Extended Credit Facility (ECF). The delegation, led by Christian Saborowski, commended the government for making significant progress in stabilising the economy and implementing key policy measures despite adverse global conditions.Mr Saborowski informed the President that the IMF was impressed by Sierra Leone’s recent macroeconomic performance, pointing out that only a few countries had achieved comparable gains regionally and globally. He cited several tangible results from…