Author: gleanernewspaper

2026, the Sierra Leone Ports and Harbours Authority (SLPHA) collaborated with security sector partners to facilitate the public destruction of 461 narcotic drug cartons at the Transnational Organised Crime Unit (TOCU) headquarters in Freetown. The disposal followed a successful joint interdiction at the Queen Elizabeth II Quay on March 24, 2026, in which the contraband was intercepted by the SLPHA, National Revenue Authority (NRA), Office of National Security (ONS), Pharmacy Board, and Sierra Leone Police (SLP).Speaking on behalf of the SLPHA, Principal Media Officer Aruna Momoh Kargbo said the public incineration demonstrates the Authority’s commitment to transparency in the fight…

The Parliamentary Committee on Communications, Technology, and Innovation held the 2026 Stakeholders’ Engagement on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, at the Atlantic Beach Hotel, bringing together government officials, regulators, mobile network operators (MNOs), and other sector players to advance Sierra Leone’s digital transformation agenda. The meeting’s theme was “Forging an Inclusive Digital Future: Ensuring Access, Quality of Service, and Affordability in Sierra Leone’s Communications Ecosystem.”Director Sheku Lamin Turay, who served as master of ceremonies, began the event by thanking participants for coming and praising the committee’s leadership for organising a timely forum. He described the meeting as an important opportunity to…

A high-level World Bank delegation led by Executive Director Dr Zarau Kibwe paid a courtesy call on President Dr Julius Maada Bio, reaffirming the organisation’s commitment to Sierra Leone’s development priorities and signalling renewed engagement amid ongoing global economic pressures.The visiting team, which includes six Executive Directors and three Alternate Executive Directors representing 67 countries, is on a three-day assessment mission in Sierra Leone. The mission is intended to assess the impact of World Bank interventions to date and identify opportunities for deeper collaboration across sectors critical to the country’s growth agenda.Introducing the delegation, Finance Minister Ahmed Sheku Fantamadi Bangura…

Cline Town, Freetown, 2026 — President Dr Julius Maada Bio officially commissioned a modern flour milling facility operated by Sierra Leone Flour Mill on Thursday, describing the investment as a vote of confidence in the private sector’s growth and Sierra Leoneans’ productive capacity.The new plant, owned by businessman Alhaji Amadu Juldeh Sowe, is expected to significantly increase domestic flour production, strengthen national food security, and reduce the country’s reliance on imported goods. According to company management, production capacity at the facility has been increased from 200 metric tonnes to 600 metric tonnes, a threefold increase that the company claims will…

Kpanga Krim Chiefdom, 2026 — President Dr Julius Maada Bio inaugurated a trio of high-profile infrastructure projects in Pujehun District on Saturday, including the 25-kilometre Bandajuma-Pujehun Road, the Julius Maada Bio Bridge, and the new Gobaru Monument, as well as the formal start of construction on the Pujehun-Gbondapi Road. According to officials, the projects are a cornerstone of the government’s larger infrastructure and Feed Salone food security agendas, and many see them as a watershed moment in the district’s development.At the commissioning ceremony, which drew a large crowd, President Bio described the projects as “pathways to dignity,” emphasising the importance…

On Sierra Leone’s 2026 International Workers’ Day, a broad coalition of labour leaders, government officials, civil society representatives, and private-sector stakeholders formally supported the Gento Group of Companies and its proposed Kent Seaport project as a key driver of job creation and national development. The event, held on May 1 at the Miatta Conference Centre, drew high-level attendees including President Julius Maada Bio, Vice President Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh, ministers, parliamentarians, diplomatic corps members, employers, and workers from all over the country.  The May Day celebration, titled “Building Workers Power for Sierra Leone’s Transformative Agenda,” emphasised the importance of greater collaboration…

Freetown — Sierra Leone’s Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Alpha Sesay Esq., has called for increased judicial collaboration across West Africa, claiming that coordinated regional justice mechanisms are critical to advancing human rights, the rule of law, and economic integration within ECOWAS.Speaking at the ECOWAS Judicial Council’s Statutory Meeting in Freetown, Mr Sesay stated that the gathering occurred at a critical juncture in Sierra Leone’s legal evolution. “You have arrived at a time when Sierra Leone is experiencing a transformative legal renaissance,” he told judges, legal officers, and regional delegates, framing the meeting as both timely and significant for…

Tzu Chi Foundation and Caritas Freetown worked together to provide emergency relief to 209 households affected by the Moa Wharf community fire on March 30, 2026. The distribution, held at Henry Ferguson School to ensure accessibility for affected families, provided essential food, hygiene, and household items to meet immediate needs while stakeholders outlined long-term recovery plans. Each of the 209 households received a package containing 10kg bags of rice, palm oil, vegetable oil, onions, salt, assorted Maggi seasoning, rubber buckets, sanitary pads, solar touch lights, empty 5-gallon containers, drinking cups, cotton materials (lappa), blankets, toothpaste, pants, and mats. Rice and…

Newton, 2026. At a graduation ceremony attended by government officials, development partners, and youth leaders, over 450 returned migrants celebrated the successful completion of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) courses at the Obasanjo Skills Acquisition Centre for Youth Development.The training was provided as part of the Migrant Protection, Return, and Reintegration Programme for Sub-Saharan Africa, which aims to provide returnees with practical skills that support sustainable livelihoods and facilitate reintegration into their communities. The courses at the youth-focused Centre covered a variety of trades aimed at improving employability and entrepreneurial capacity among young people returning from migration journeys.…

President Dr Julius Maada Bio has formally launched the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission’s Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) Programme in Sierra Leone, unveiling a pilot program that will distribute 10,000 clean cooking gas canisters to households across the country. The launch occurred during a high-level policy dialogue on clean cooking, gender equality, and child protection, which brought together regional leaders, policymakers, development partners, and private sector representatives to accelerate the transition to safer, more sustainable household energy in West Africa.In his keynote speech, President Bio described access to clean cooking as both a public health imperative and…