Author: gleanernewspaper

The National Investment Board (NIB) leadership, led by Executive Director Dr Edward Hinga Sandy and Deputy Executive Director Ms Fatima Mahawa Sandi, has advocated for increased investment in mineral value addition and beneficiation as a key strategy for industrial growth, job creation, and broader economic transformation in Sierra Leone. The appeal was made during a high-level panel at Sierra Leone Mining Week 2026, which coincided with the 11th African Diamond Producers Association (ADPA) Council of Ministers Meeting at the Bintumani Conference Centre in Freetown. Dr Sandy spoke as a panellist in a strategic session on mineral beneficiation and industrial development,…

His Excellency President Dr Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone, who also serves as Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, delivered a Presidential Lecture at the Africa Together Conference 2026 at the University of Cambridge. He urged African nations to embrace strategic leadership, build resilient institutions, and make bold choices in the face of mounting global disruption. Under the conference theme “Africa in an Age of Disruption: Power, Agency, and Strategic Choice,” President Bio addressed scholars, students, members of the African diaspora, and a distinguished international audience, framing the continent’s situation as one of urgent…

At the NaTCA Consumer Parliament 2026, Africell Sierra Leone’s CEO, Shadi Gerjawi, reaffirmed the company’s long-term commitment to driving digital transformation, expanding connectivity, and investing in national development. Gerjawi addressed a diverse audience that included the Honourable Minister of Communications and Innovation, Members of Parliament, the Director General of the National Communications Authority, the Mayor of Kenema City, traditional leaders, government officials, sector representatives, civil society organisations, media, and consumers, framing Africell’s plans as both a business strategy and a civic commitment to Sierra Leone’s future.Gerjawi cited Africell’s 21st year of operations in the country as a watershed moment that…

The Ministry of Technical and Higher Education (MTHE) held a high-level stakeholder meeting in Freetown to discuss the proposed Centralised Admissions System (CAS) for tertiary education in Sierra Leone. The meeting, held at the Radisson Blu Hotel, brought together university leaders, regulators, examination bodies, technology partners, telecommunications and civil registration authorities, and representatives from Nigeria’s education authorities to discuss how a unified, digital admissions framework could improve transparency, equity, and efficiency in admitting students to universities and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions.Permanent Secretary Mohamed Sheick Kargbo opened the session, describing the consultation as a watershed moment in…

The Dutch Cabinet is preparing to request a suspension of European Union development aid to Sierra Leone following repeated failures to secure the extradition of convicted drug trafficker Jos Leijdekkers. The Netherlands intends to enlist other EU partners to increase diplomatic pressure on Freetown by linking cooperation to case progress, according to Minister of Justice Van Weel on the television show Buitenhof. “It is, of course, absurd that we facilitate or support a country that simultaneously provides a haven to one of the most notorious drug criminals known to us globally,” Van Weel stated, explaining why the Netherlands is considering measures other than…

BY-SHOBHA SHUKLA – CNS This year’s Menstrual Hygiene Day, as well as the International Day of Action for Women’s Health, is a grim reminder that women’s health is far from being a fundamental human right in reality. The writing on the wall is clear: if we are to deliver on the goal of gender equality for all by 2030, we must dismantle deeply rooted stigma, secure bodily autonomy and eliminate period poverty. Menstruation – or period – is a natural and healthy biological process. Every month, more than two billion people around the world menstruate. But out of these, 500…

The Vice President of Sierra Leone, Hon. Dr Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh, has officially become a subscriber of the newly launched Sierratel MVNO service after receiving his Sierratel SIM card from the leadership of Sierratel and Africell during a courtesy engagement in his office at Tower Hill. The delegation, led by the Managing Director of Sierratel, Joe Abass Bangura, alongside the CEO of Africell Sierra Leone, Shadi Gerjawi and senior staff members from both institutions, presented the SIM card to the Vice President as part of ongoing efforts to promote national ownership and support for the country’s newest telecommunications initiative. Receiving…

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…