Author: gleanernewspaper

Senior Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) leadership met with Sierra Leone’s energy minister today to assess progress on the $480 million Compact and discuss ongoing energy sector reforms. Acting Vice President for Compact Operations Africa, Alicia Robinson-Morgan, led the MCC delegation to a consultation with Minister of Energy, Cyril Arnold Grant.Ms Robinson-Morgan was joined by Ndeye Sesay, Chief Executive Officer of Millennium Challenge Account (MCA), MCC Country Director Steven Grudda, and Hannah Hoover, Deputy Country Director. Al-Hassan Kondeh, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Energy, participated in discussions aimed at improving institutional capacity and service delivery in the sector as Sierra…

The Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Affairs held a press conference to clarify the government’s position following reports of a newly formed group known as the Federation of All Tourism Associations (FATA). The meeting brought together Ministry officials, representatives from the National Tourist Board, members of the media, and stakeholders from across Sierra Leone’s tourism sector to address concerns, explain institutional procedures, and encourage cohesion as the country works to establish a unified National Tourism Federation.Speaking at the event, Director of Tourism, Travel, and Exchange Mohamed Jalloh reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to bolstering Sierra Leone’s tourism, culture, creative, and entertainment…

His Excellency Dr Julius Maada Bio, President of Sierra Leone and current Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, delivered a reflective and impassioned lecture at the University of Oxford, urging African leaders, institutions, and citizens to defend constitutional democracy in the face of growing coups and electoral uncertainty across West Africa. President Bio delivered remarks to a group of postgraduate students, faculty, diplomats, and academics as part of the Oxford Postgraduate Distinguished Lecture Series, with the theme “Defending Constitutional Democracy in an Era of Growing Coups and Electoral Uncertainty in West Africa.”President Bio warned in…

Chief Minister Dr David Moinina Sengeh led a high-level government delegation, which included senior officials and the Vice President of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), on an inspection visit to the Nant Energy Power Project construction site at Kissy Dockyard in Freetown. The visit was part of the government’s ongoing oversight of strategic national infrastructure, and it demonstrated efforts to strengthen collaboration with international development partners while ensuring the timely delivery of transformative energy investments for Sierra Leone’s development.Karim Nasser, Executive Chairman and Director of Nant Power, gave the delegation a guided tour of the facility and provided detailed updates…

Dr Mustapha Kabba, Deputy Chief Medical Officer at the Ministry of Health, reassured Sierra Leoneans at a Lungi Civic Day town hall on May 19, 2026, that the country remains free of Ebola and outlined enhanced national preparedness measures in response to recent developments in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Dr Kabba told citizens, health workers, and local officials that the ministry is closely monitoring the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in collaboration with international and regional partners, including the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.Although no Ebola…

A Belgian court sentenced Dutch fugitive drug trafficker Jos Leijdekkers and nineteen others to prison terms ranging from one and a half to ten years in a major drug case. The judge found them guilty of importing more than 11 tons of cocaine from Sierra Leone. The drugs were hidden inside a container that entered the country through the Port of Antwerp in October 2023. This is one of the largest drug seizures ever recorded in Belgium, with a street value of 550 million euros. The drugs were supposed to be picked up by one of Leijdekkers’ accomplices; however, the shipment was…

Shadi Gerjawi, CEO of Africell Sierra Leone, argued at the 18th West Africa Internet Governance Forum (WAIGF 2026) in Freetown that mobile network operators (MNOs) are critical to ensuring the region’s digital future. During the high-level five-day forum at the Miatta Conference Centre, Youyi Building, Gerjawi told policymakers, regulators, technology specialists, youth delegates, and private sector representatives that physical telecommunications infrastructure must be central to any effort to strengthen digital sovereignty in West Africa.Gerjawi emphasised that digital sovereignty is useless in the absence of strong and resilient physical networks. He stated that telecommunications towers, subsea and terrestrial fibre, and last-mile…

Freetown, May, 2026 — James Baggie Bio, Executive Director of the Sierra Leone Road Safety Authority (SLRSA), has held high-level talks with Minister Counsellor and Deputy Chinese Ambassador to Sierra Leone, Ambassador Zhang Dianbin, to discuss increased collaboration in the road safety sector. The engagement, held ahead of China and Sierra Leone’s 55th anniversary of diplomatic relations, centred on capacity building, technology transfer, and logistical support to assist the Authority in keeping up with evolving vehicle technologies.During the meeting, Mr Bio highlighted the significant increase in Chinese-manufactured vehicles entering the Sierra Leonean market. While appreciating Chinese automobile manufacturers’ growing contribution…

Sierra Leone’s Minister of Health, Dr Austin Demby, and H.E. Lansana Gberie, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Sierra Leone to the United Nations and other International Organizations in Geneva, attended the opening session of the 79th World Health Assembly (WHA79) in Geneva on Monday, May 18, 2026. The World Health Organisation (WHO) holds its annual Assembly, which serves as the organisation’s supreme decision-making forum, bringing together Member States to negotiate and set global health priorities. This year’s meeting, themed “Reshaping Global Health: A Shared Responsibility,” focused on collective responses to emerging health challenges, such as mobilising sustainable funding for the…

The National Revenue Authority (NRA) officially commissioned the newly constructed Jendema Border Crossing Post, claiming that the move would strengthen border management, facilitate trade, and improve revenue administration. The opening ceremony was attended by NRA Board and Management members, traditional and community leaders, representatives from the Liberia Customs Authority, and other key stakeholders, demonstrating the collaborative approach to improving cross-border governance.In his welcome remarks, A. J. Zoker, Chiefdom Speaker of Sorogbema Chiefdom, praised the NRA’s initiative, describing the new facility as a significant development that will boost revenue growth and improve service delivery to local communities and traders. Zoker’s comments…