Author: gleanernewspaper

His Excellency President Dr Julius Maada Bio used the platform of the World Customs Organisation’s 32nd Conference of Directors General of Customs and the West and Central Africa Region to advocate for stronger regional integration, more effective trade policy, and the rapid modernisation of customs administrations in West Africa. President Bio, who delivered the keynote address under the conference theme “A Customs Service that Protects Society Through Its Vigilance and Commitment,” stated that vigilance in customs administration must be institutionalised as a national obligation to protect security, economic stability, and public trust. President Bio described customs as a vital but…

KfW, Germany’s state-owned development bank, has formalised a new equity stake in African Trade & Investment Development Insurance (ATIDI), making it the insurer’s 13th institutional shareholder and strengthening one of Africa’s leading development insurers’ capacity to underwrite and catalyse trade and investment across the continent.The subscription agreement was signed at a high-level meeting in Nairobi attended by ATIDI CEO Manuel Moses and Germany’s Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, Reem Alabali Radovan. KfW’s participation in ATIDI is both a continuation of a long-standing partnership and a tangible demonstration of Germany’s commitment to strengthening economic ties with Africa and supporting…

A high-level World Bank delegation visited Sierra Leone’s new flagship solar installation in Newton, praising rapid construction progress and reiterating international support for the country’s transition to cleaner, more reliable power.Twelve Executive Directors went to the Regional Emergency Solar Power Intervention Project (RESPITE), a 30-megawatt solar photovoltaic facility with 12 battery storage units designed to stabilise the national grid and reduce reliance on costly emergency thermal generation. The delegation was led by Abdu Muwonge, World Bank Country Director for Sierra Leone, and welcomed by Minister of Energy Cyril Grant and Deputy Minister II Abdrahman Jalloh.The Newton plant was producing between…

May 2026 — His Excellency President Dr Julius Maada Bio has formally relaunched Sierratel as a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) in a strategic partnership with Africell, bringing the state-owned telecommunications provider back into Sierra Leone’s communications landscape. The move is intended to increase access to services, reliability, competition, and job opportunities for young people involved in the country’s growing digital economy.During the relaunch ceremony, President Bio described the decision as a deliberate and forward-thinking effort to reposition the telecommunications sector for the demands of the twenty-first century. “Today, we decide to connect differently and compete seriously. This launch is…

Over 80 community leaders and stakeholders from Turtle Island and other Sherbro Island communities in Deima Chiefdom, Bonthe District, have praised the Reptile and Amphibian Program-Sierra Leone (RAP-SL) for its conservation work. They have pledged continued support for efforts to protect sea turtles, manatees, mangroves, and coastal biodiversity.On Thursday, April 30, 2026, councillors, chairladies, headmen, harbour masters, fishermen, fishmongers, sea turtle monitors, and other key actors gathered at the Dama Chiefdom Administration Community Barry in Chepu for a RAP-SL sensitisation meeting. Paramount Chief Anshun Ngabay IV, the Speaker, and other local leaders emphasised tangible community benefits since the conservation campaign…

Mahesh Nandwani of Pee Cee and Sons President Dr Julius Maada Bio paid a high-profile visit to the Pee Cee and Sons onion farm at Loko Masama in Lungi on April 16, 2026, reaffirming his administration’s commitment to accelerating the Feed Salone initiative and strengthening national food security. The farm, one of Sierra Leone’s largest onion-producing farms, represents a growing wave of private-sector agricultural investment aimed at reducing import dependence and increasing domestic production. The Pee Cee and Sons operation, which spans extensive acreage, is a model of what government-private partnerships can achieve under the Feed Salone framework. Speaking at the event, President Bio emphasised that Sierra Leone…

Following a high-level meeting with an IMF mission in Sierra Leone, President Dr Julius Maada Bio reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to continuing fiscal and structural reforms and meeting the targets of the International Monetary Fund-supported Extended Credit Facility (ECF). The delegation, led by Christian Saborowski, commended the government for making significant progress in stabilising the economy and implementing key policy measures despite adverse global conditions.Mr Saborowski informed the President that the IMF was impressed by Sierra Leone’s recent macroeconomic performance, pointing out that only a few countries had achieved comparable gains regionally and globally. He cited several tangible results from…

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…