Author: gleanernewspaper

A high-level World Bank Implementation Support Mission was recently hosted by the Ministry of Youth Affairs in Freetown to review and advance the Productive Social Safety Net and Youth Employment (PSSNYE) project. Mr Robert S. Chase, World Bank Practice Manager for Social Protection and Jobs, and Ms Asha Monifa Williams led the delegation. The mission’s primary goals were to assess project progress, strengthen inter-agency coordination, and identify practical ways to expand the initiative’s impact on youth empowerment and job creation in Sierra Leone. PSSNYE, a flagship social protection and employment program implemented in collaboration by the Ministry of Youth Affairs,…

On November 13, 2025, a high-level delegation from the British High Commission, led by Deputy High Commissioner Kathleen Reid, paid courtesy visits to Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Planning and Economic Development (MoPED) and the ECOWAS Logistics Depot in Lungi. The purpose of the visit was to strengthen cooperative dialogue and explore opportunities for increased UK support to ensure the Depot’s full operational status and as a strategic regional asset. The British delegation consisted of Kezia Exley, Deputy Sahel Envoy; Hamish Tye, UK Political Envoy to ECOWAS; Christopher Howells, Political Secretary; and Amalara Jalloh, Political Officer at the British High Commission.…

A China-aided Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU), the first of its kind in Sierra Leone, has opened at the Sierra Leone-China Friendship Hospital in Freetown. The unit, which opened on Wednesday, is designed to provide centralised monitoring and prompt intervention to patients with acute and critical cardiovascular conditions, addressing a growing national demand for specialised heart care. The new CICU is outfitted with cardiac monitors, defibrillators, ventilators, and other specialised devices that allow for continuous monitoring and rapid response for patients with serious heart disease. According to members of the 26th batch of the Chinese medical team stationed in Sierra…

On Thursday, November 13, 2025, the Population Secretariat of the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development (MoPED) completed a full-day stakeholders’ engagement at the Ministry’s conference room in Tower Hill, Freetown, to conduct the Annual Review of Sierra Leone’s commitments under the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) framework. The meeting brought together a diverse group of national actors to evaluate progress, identify gaps, and renew collective responsibility for implementing Sierra Leone’s renewed ICPD commitments through 2030. The engagement aimed to foster national ownership of the ICPD agenda, promote shared responsibility for implementation, and ensure that the commitments were…

By Kemo Cham Findings from studies by a group of mainly Sierra Leonean scientists have revealed a worrying trend of viral infections in the country. The scientists attached to the University of Sierra Leone and the Center for Biomedical and One Health Research (CBOHR) at the Koinadugu College (KC), through collaborations with local and international partners, uncovered the presence of deadly viruses hitherto considered as rare to Sierra Leone. One of the studies revealed the rare presence of a sexually transmitted infection in under-five children. These findings from about half a dozen studies were shared at the first dissemination of…

The United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the National Crime Agency (NCA) of the United Kingdom have joined Nigeria’s National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in their investigation into what authorities believe to be an international cartel that is in charge of a 1,000-kilogram shipment of cocaine that was purportedly sent from Sierra Leone. At the Port and Terminal Multiservices Limited (PTML) in Lagos, the shipment was found inside a 20-foot export container. It is estimated to have a street value of N29.4 billion, or roughly $20.4 million. On October 7, 2025, while PTML staff were cleaning a set of…

Sierra Leone’s Clerk to Parliament, Mr Karmoh K. Konteh, paid a courtesy call on his Ghanaian counterpart, Mr Ebenezer Ahumah Djietror, as part of a working visit aimed at strengthening inter-parliamentary relations and exchanging best practices in digital governance. The visit focused on Ghana’s information and communication technology (ICT) systems used in the parliamentary chamber, as well as how digital tools were used to improve legislative processes and institutional efficiency. Mr Konteh wanted a thorough understanding of the technological infrastructure that supports Ghana’s Parliament, including the software and hardware vendors and the architecture that allows for day-to-day operations. He looked…

On Monday, Sierra Leone’s Presidential Taskforce on Hajj paid a courtesy call to Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Hajj and Umrah Affairs, His Excellency Tawfig Al-Rabiah, at the Jeddah Superdome.The meeting, which came after Sierra Leone participated in the 5th Hajj Conference and Exhibition, provided an opportunity for both sides to express gratitude and focus on preparations for the upcoming 2026 Hajj season.The meeting, which followed Sierra Leone’s participation in the 5th Hajj Conference and Exhibition, provided an opportunity for both sides to express gratitude and focus on preparations for the 2026 Hajj season. Alhaji Murtada Sesay, the Taskforce’s chairman, thanked…

Sierra Leone’s Minister of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, Nabeela Farida Tunis, today pledged her country’s full support for Shaikha Nasser Al Nowais, who was unanimously elected as the new Secretary-General of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation at the 26th General Assembly. Al Nowais succeeds Zurab Pololikashvili, and in her first remarks, she outlined an ambitious agenda for transformative change in the global tourism industry, with a focus on sustainability, community empowerment, and technological innovation. Minister Tunis expressed gratitude to the outgoing Secretary-General for his leadership and for championing sustainability and digital innovation in tourism during his speech at the…

Hon. Sierra Leone’s Minister of Tourism and Cultural Affairs attended the UN Tourism Conference.Abeela Farida Tunis reiterated her country’s commitment to modernising the tourism industry through technological innovation. Minister Tunis outlined plans to use artificial intelligence to improve how Sierra Leone’s cultural and natural attractions are presented to international visitors during a speech that positioned the country as an aspiring leader in sustainable and smart tourism. She cited President Dr Julius Maada Bio’s establishment of a ministry dedicated to technology and innovation as evidence of the government’s commitment to a digital future. Minister Tunis stated that Sierra Leone is actively…