Author: gleanernewspaper

At ExCeL London’s Royal Docks, Sierra Leone concluded a lively three-day presence at World Travel Market (WTM) London 2025 with a showcase that combined culture, food, and business. By combining festive public moments with focused industry engagement, the West African nation left a lasting impression on nearly 200 countries and over 4,000 exhibitors. One of the highlights was when Deputy High Commissioner Yvonne King Odigboh and Minister of Tourism and Cultural Affairs Nabeela Farida Tunis unexpectedly took to the pavilion floor and danced to the classic song “Let Me Love You (…FOREVER)” by Bunny Mack. Their spontaneous performance, which was…

The Ministry of Planning and Economic Development (MoPED), working in partnership with the ECOWAS National Office in Sierra Leone, has completed a twoday series of stakeholder sensitisation meetings in the country’s NorthWest region aimed at deepening public understanding of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and its range of interventions in Sierra Leone. The outreach events took place at the District Council Hall in Makeni on 6 November 2025 and at the Provincial Secretary’s Office in Port Loko on 7 November 2025. Organisers said the sessions drew more than 134 participants representing a broad crosssection of society: civil…

An illustration of Jos Leijdekkers Many Sierra Leoneans have welcomed President Julius Maada Bio’s recent announcement of sweeping measures to combat the country’s drug crisis. Still, it has also fuelled scepticism and urgent calls for the campaign to target not just low-level dealers, but also the alleged kingpins and global networks that, according to international news reports, have transformed parts of the country into a transhipment and processing hub.  President Bio, speaking at a high-level stakeholders’ meeting at State House attended by ministers, security chiefs, justice-sector leaders, and civil society representatives, described the Kush epidemic as one of Sierra Leone’s most…

Pregnant women sit in the waiting area at the pre-natal clinic of the Princess Christian Maternity Hospital in Freetown, Sierra Leone, on April 25, 2016.  © 2016 MARCO LONGARI/AFP via Getty Images Women giving birth in public hospitals in Sierra Leone who are unable to pay informal fees face dangerous neglect and abuse by health care providers, in some cases leading to the deaths of women or their newborns. Sierra Leone’s progress on maternal healthcare is being undermined by a lack of resources in public hospitals and the use of volunteer staff, even though the government policy is that such…

His Excellency President Dr Julius Maada Bio has formally recognised 17 new Paramount Chiefs, emphasising the sacred and strategic role of the chieftaincy institution in promoting peace, unity, and development throughout Sierra Leone. The newly recognised chiefs, drawn from the districts of Bo, Port Loko, Kambia, Falaba, Karene, and Tonkolili, were elected between 2024 and 2025 and formally presented with their staffs of office by the President in accordance with Part IV, Section 17(a) of the Chieftaincy Act of 2009.”Today marks your official induction into a sacred responsibility, to serve your people and support government in driving development across your…

In a landmark decision aimed at increasing access to justice, the Honourable Chief Justice Komba Kamanda announced that the Court of Appeal will sit in the provinces for the first time since the Judiciary’s establishment to hear and decide appeals from those regions. The initiative is part of broader judicial reforms aimed at decentralising court services, lowering litigation costs, and bringing justice closer to citizens. The Court of Appeal will hold circuit sittings in Makeni City on Thursday, November 27, 2025, to hear and resolve appeals from the North-East and North-Western regions. A second provincial sitting is scheduled for Tuesday, January…

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) addressed the IRENA 30th Council Meeting on scaling green industrialisation via critical minerals and renewable energy supply chains. IRENA convened an event in Abu Dhabi, the UAE capital, to review progress on the Agency’s work and consider collective priorities to accelerate the global energy transition. Preparations are underway for this year’s COP-30 in Brazil, as well as the 16th IRENA Assembly in January 2026. The Council also talked about the role of clean industrialisation in promoting sustainable development. The Council also discussed the role of clean industrialisation in promoting sustainable development, such as increased resilience in…

Eni S.p.A., Italy’s energy giant, has signed a Reconnaissance Permit Agreement with the Government of Sierra Leone’s Petroleum Directorate, marking its first major offshore engagement in the country.The agreement grants Eni the right to undertake technical reconnaissance and evaluation work across five blocks—G113, G129, G130, G131, and G132—covering approximately 6,790 square kilometers of Sierra Leone’s offshore waters, and signals renewed international interest in the country’s hydrocarbon The agreement gives Eni the right to conduct technical reconnaissance and evaluation work across five blocks — G113, G129, G130, G131, and G132 — covering approximately 6,790 square kilometers of Sierra Leone’s offshore waters,…

The additional funding will help to support integrated landscape management (ILM) and biodiversity conservation, as well as improving food security and resilience in vulnerable communities. The World Bank has approved an additional $18.34 million grant to support Sierra Leone’s biodiversity protection, environmental sustainability, and climate change resilience through increased investments in Nature-Based Solutions (NBS). The funding, provided by the Global Environment Facility’s Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF), will be used to expand activities under Phase 2 of the West Africa Food System Resilience Program (FSRP), a major regional initiative aimed at transforming food systems throughout West Africa. A Step Forward…

Africell’s original docuseries, One Week in…with Pelumi Nubi, has been shortlisted in the ‘Branded Entertainment’ category at the Indielab Innovation Awards 2025, earning international recognition for its innovative approach to media and storytelling. The Indielab Innovation Awards, based in London, are a highly respected creative industry event that recognises excellence in television, film, and digital media. The Branded Entertainment category recognises companies that use storytelling to strengthen brand identity and build meaningful connections with their audiences. This nomination, combined with the work of renowned documentarian Louis Theroux, highlights Africell’s emergence not only as a leading telecommunications provider in Africa, but…