Author: gleanernewspaper

The Audit Service Sierra Leone (ASSL) and the Sierra Leone Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (SLEITI) have signed a strategic partnership to improve the transparency, accountability, and credibility of reporting in the country’s extractive industries. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, in the ASSL’s Conference Room in Freetown.The agreement allows ASSL and SLEITI to collaborate more closely on producing EITI-compliant reports, aligning Sierra Leone’s disclosure practices with international Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) standards. SLEITI is the national chapter of the global EITI framework, which promotes transparent and accountable management of oil, gas, and mineral…

The Better Education for Africa’s Rise (BEAR III) Project has advanced a key component of Sierra Leone’s workforce development strategy by holding a one-day workshop on April 16, 2026, to develop an operational work plan for the newly formed Agriculture Sector Skills Council (SSC). The meeting in Freetown brought together government officials, technical specialists, training providers, private sector representatives, development partners, and youth advocates to discuss practical steps for aligning agricultural training with labour market needs.Agriculture is a key component of Sierra Leone’s economy, providing significant opportunities for job creation, food security, and inclusive growth. Recognising this, BEAR III has…

On June 22, 2026, the European Union and the Federal Republic of Germany launched a four-year cassava value chain project in Sierra Leone. The project aims to transform cassava production from subsistence farming to a sustainable, climate-smart, and commercially viable sector that creates jobs, particularly for women and young people. Senior government officials, donor partners, private sector actors, and farmer representatives gathered at the Country Lodge in Freetown to discuss the intervention’s objectives and implementation strategy. The cassava activities are part of the EU-funded “Sustainable Food and Agriculture Value Chains Development” programme, a EUR 35 million initiative focused on three…

Abdulai Caulker, Security Coordinator at the Office of National Security (ONS), has categorically denied any involvement in allegations related to a recent publication by the Gleaner Newspaper, claiming he is unaware of the details reported. Responding to the article, Mr Caulker stated that he is not a party to the claims and was unaware of the incident described in the paper. Mr Caulker reiterated the ONS’s mandate in a statement, saying the office’s primary role is to coordinate the country’s security sector and protect Sierra Leone from all forms of organised crime. He emphasised that the ONS serves primarily as a…

The Sierra Leone Ports and Harbours Authority (SLPHA) has emerged as one of the country’s best-performing public institutions in implementing the National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS) 2024-2028, with an 87 percent compliance rating and a joint first place among Agencies, Authorities, and Commissions with the Sierra Leone Airport Authority. The findings are included in the National Anti-Corruption Strategy Secretariat’s First Quarter Monitoring Report on NACS implementation, which was prepared in collaboration with the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). The assessment covered 95 public institutions across the country and looked at how well they followed 23 specific action points designed to improve anti-corruption safeguards,…

23 June 2026 — The National Revenue Authority (NRA), in collaboration with Blue Ribbon Solutions SL Limited, has increased efforts to modernise revenue collection by training regional Ministry of Lands, Housing, and County Planning staff on the Non-Tax Revenue (NTR) Mobile Payment App. The session, held at the Youyi Building in Freetown, combined hands-on instruction with live demonstrations to ensure that participants gained practical skills for using the new digital platform. The training was designed to familiarise regional officers with the NTR Mobile App’s payment workflow, transaction verification, and reporting features, allowing for a more seamless transition from manual to…

On Tuesday, June 23, 2026, the Office of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, in collaboration with the Office of the Administrator and Registrar General and the African Regional Intellectual Property Organisation (ARIPO), launched a country-level sensitisation workshop on ARIPO’s online services at the New Brookfields Hotel in New England, Freetown. The event brought together government officials, legal practitioners, innovators, entrepreneurs, intellectual property professionals, and other stakeholders to gain a better understanding of ARIPO’s electronic platform and to help Sierra Leone’s digital IP administration.Madam Martina Baindu Egbenda, Sierra Leone’s Administrator and Registrar General, welcomed the ARIPO delegation and attendees,…

Vice President Dr Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh has urged Sierra Leoneans at home and abroad to maintain peace, unity, and national cohesion, emphasising that long-term development is dependent on harmony, collective effort, and a common sense of purpose. He appealed on June 20, 2026, while serving as Guest of Honour at a celebration in London commemorating the safe return of Sierra Leonean pilgrims who had completed Hajj 2026. The event, hosted by Yaadu Travel Services, honoured a second group of Sierra Leonean pilgrims from the United Kingdom and Europe who took part in the government-sponsored Hajj programme. The ceremony, held at…

20 June 2026- His Excellency President Dr Julius Maada Bio officially inaugurated the Manowa Bridge over the Moa River in Peje Bongre Chiefdom, Kailahun District, marking a significant milestone in the government’s infrastructure drive to improve connectivity, expand market access, and accelerate socioeconomic development in eastern Sierra Leone. The new two-lane bridge, built under the World Bank’s Smallholder Commercialisation and Agribusiness Development Project (SCADeP), replaces a decades-old manual cable ferry and is designed to be an all-weather, durable crossing that will serve both banks for generations.The completed structure is expected to strengthen links between Peje Bongre and Upper Bambara Chiefdoms,…

Africell Sierra Leone reinforced its customer-first strategy this month, with the latest stop of its Africell Customer Engagement (ACE) Exercise on Thursday, June 18, 2026, at Fourah Bay College (FBC), University of Sierra Leone. The visit is part of a larger monthly outreach programme aimed at gathering subscriber feedback, resolving service issues, and introducing new products to users directly. The ACE Exercise brings Africell teams to campuses to engage in dialogue with students who make extensive use of mobile and data services. Students were invited to raise concerns, make suggestions, and learn about Africell’s evolving suite of services, including the…