Author: gleanernewspaper

Aminata Kamara joined other global leaders, policymakers, and investors in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on 13th January to 15th January, 2025 for the Future Minerals Forum (FMF) 2026, where conversations centered on one unavoidable theme: the future of mining will be shaped as much by human capital as well as AI. “The discussions were heavily focused on human capital development, with a strong focus on AI. Right now, Sierra Leone has yet to tap out into AI in mining but we must,” Kamara said. A Global Conversation Sierra Leone Cannot Afford to Miss Across panels at FMF, artificial intelligence (AI) was framed not…

By Mohamed Jaward NyallayChernor Bah, Minister of Information and Civic Education, met with the leadership of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPD) on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, to improve inclusion and collaboration between the two institutions.Minister Bah, who has championed social care advocacy for war-wounded and amputees, praised the Commission for its efforts to advance the rights and welfare of people with disabilities throughout the country.He said the ministry was especially proud of its decision to include sign language interpretation in all major public engagement programs.”Sign language interpreters now attend 100% of our public engagements. “We are proud…

On behalf of the Tripartite Steering Committee, the Public Sector Reform Unit (PSRU) formally presented the Management and Functional Review (MFR) Reports of key Electoral Management Bodies (EMBs) to Chief Minister Dr David Moinina Sengeh. The Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC), Political Parties Registration Commission (PPRC), Independent Media Commission (IMC), and Independent Police Complaints Board (IPCB) were among the institutions investigated. Mr Sulaiman Phoray-Musa, Director of PSRU, presented the reports, emphasising key findings and recommendations aimed at improving institutional efficiency, governance, and service delivery within EMBs. The reviews followed the recommendations of the Tripartite Committee Report, which was previously submitted…

On Monday, January 26, 2026, the Minister of Finance, Sheku Ahmed Fantamadi Bangura, reassured a World Bank scoping team of Sierra Leone’s continued commitment to deepening reforms in Public Financial Management (PFM) to deliver improved public services. The assurances came as he officially welcomed the World Bank’s scoping mission for the proposed Strengthening Accountability and Local Oversight for the New Generation Public Financial Management Project, a program aimed at improving financial oversight, accountability, and efficiency in public sector operations.The multidisciplinary mission, which was introduced to the Minister by World Bank Country Manager Abdu Muwonge, will consult with a wide range…

His Excellency, President Dr Julius Maada Bio, has highlighted Sierra Leone’s emergence as a continental trade reform leader, announcing the country’s historic achievement as the first to complete and publish its National AfCFTA Readiness Assessment and Schedule of Commitments, as well as making a compelling case for investors to partner with Sierra Leone’s growing digital and industrial economies. On Wednesday, January 21, 2026, President Bio spoke as Co-Chair of the Forum Friends of the AfCFTA Breakfast Meeting on the margins of the World Economic Forum (WEF) Davos 2026. He described the milestone as a product of bold national leadership forged…

Freetown, Sierra Leone, January 2026— The MoPED collaborated with AFRITAC West 2, supported by the International Monetary Fund, to conduct a ten-day Technical Assistance Mission from January 12-21, 2026. The mission aimed to improve alignment between national development priorities, public investment planning, and the national budget. The engagement sought to strengthen institutional capacity within MoPED’s Directorates of Planning and Public Investment, improve coordination with the Ministry of Finance (MoF), and ensure that strategic plans are consistently translated into funded and implemented projects.The mission began with a courtesy call from Madam Kenyeh Barlay, Minister of Planning and Economic Development, who reaffirmed…

On Thursday, January 22, 2026, Ms Reem Alabali-Radovan, Minister of Planning and Economic Cooperation in the Federal Republic of Germany, led a delegation to two development project sites in Gbinti, Dibia Chiefdom in Karene District, and Newton in Western Area Rural. The visits highlighted Germany’s support for a homegrown school feeding programme in Karene District, as well as a number of rural development initiatives aimed at improving food security, livelihoods, and green skills among women and youth. The German-funded school feeding program currently serves 25,000 primary school students across 115 schools in the Karene District. The scheme, developed in collaboration…

President Julius Maada Bio released the White Paper on Constitutional Review on January 13, 2022. On 30th July 2013, President Ernest Bai Koroma established a broad-based Constitutional Review Committee (CRC) to lead a national effort to review and strengthen Sierra Leone’s 1991 Constitution. The CRC, comprising eighty members and representing political parties, democratic institutions, non-governmental organisations, the media, and key independent bodies, was tasked with conducting extensive civic education and public consultations, as well as making recommendations for constitutional reform. As the CRC itself stated, “The major civic education and consultation process undertaken by the CRC gave the people the opportunity to…

Swiss city of Davos, January 20, 2026. On the sidelines of the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos, President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone and Abdullah KH ALMUSAIBEEH, President of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), committed to strengthening their partnership.President Bio briefed BADEA’s president on the status of the bank’s existing projects in Sierra Leone and outlined the government’s priorities for future engagement. He emphasised BADEA’s role in assisting with the implementation of the country’s Medium-term National Development Plan, claiming that the bank’s interventions have been critical in key sectors such as infrastructure, agriculture…

His Excellency Zhao Yong, the newly appointed Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to the Republic of Sierra Leone, paid a formal courtesy call on the Honourable Chief Justice of Sierra Leone, Justice Komba Kamanda, on January 20, 2025, and promised to strengthen collaboration between the Chinese Embassy and the Sierra Leone Judiciary during his tenure.Ambassador Zhao expressed gratitude for the Chief Justice’s warm welcome and praised the existing cordial working relationship between the Judiciary and the Chinese Embassy. He stated that his mission in Sierra Leone would focus on consolidating the long-standing bilateral ties between the People’s Republic…