Author: gleanernewspaper

President Dr Julius Maada Bio has completed a thorough inspection tour of three of Sierra Leone’s most important heritage, tourism, and conservation sites — Bunce Island, Leicester Peak Viewpoint, and the Tacugama Innovation Centre — demonstrating his administration’s dedication to preserving history, promoting sustainable tourism, and defending the country’s natural assets for future generations.The President’s visit to Bunce Island was particularly significant because it was the first time in four decades that a sitting Sierra Leonean President had toured the island. Bunce Island, located on the Sierra Leone River, is one of West Africa’s most powerful reminders of the transatlantic…

Justin Bambay Kamara, National Director of Special Olympics Sierra Leone, Shawn Ferguson, Chief Global Government Relations Officer, Special Olympics International, Charles Nyambe, President and Managing Director, Special Olympics Africa Region, and Honorable Ibrahim Sannoh, Minister of Youth Affairs, following the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding formalizing Sierra Leone’s membership in the Special Olympics Global Coalition for Inclusion. The Republic of Sierra Leone has formally joined the Special Olympics Global Coalition for Inclusion, pledging to increase inclusive sports and education opportunities for students with intellectual disabilities. The signing ceremony, held on Friday, May 29 in Freetown, was the largest launch…

Sierra Leone’s Chief Minister, David Moinina Sengeh, Rob Jetten, Prime Minister, Netherlands. Sierra Leone’s Chief Minister, David Moinina Sengeh, has publicly pressed the Netherlands and other EU partners for more concrete cooperation in combating transnational organised crime, claiming that the country’s economic and maritime vulnerabilities are “weaponised” when partners fail to provide critical support. In a recent article, Dr Sengeh expressed frustration that multilateral dialogues have not always resulted in the necessary information-sharing, institutional strengthening, and operational assistance for Sierra Leone to secure its borders and protect its people. Sengeh emphasised that Sierra Leone is actively pursuing national development and is committed to…

Dr Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella, Chairman of the Presidential Initiative on Climate Change, Renewable Energy, and Food Security (PI-CREF), has reaffirmed Sierra Leone’s firm commitment to clean cooking, stating that the issue is now a presidential priority as the country moves from planning to implementation.Dr Yumkella stated at the National Clean Cooking Strategy Policy Familiarisation Workshop hosted by the Ministry of Energy that President Julius Maada Bio regards clean cooking as central to the national energy strategy and an important component of Sierra Leone’s Mission 300 Compact Framework. The workshop brought together government, regional, and development stakeholders to learn about national…

President Dr Julius Maada Bio presided over the swearing-in ceremony for Mr Ahmed Saybom Kanu as the new Deputy Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources, assuring both the Minister and her deputy of his administration’s full support as they pursue sector objectives and reforms. Mr Prince E. O. Cole, Secretary to the Cabinet and Head of Civil Service, administered the oath of office. Mr Cole informed the President that Mr Kanu’s appointment had been followed by the necessary parliamentary vetting and approval, stating that Members of Parliament had reviewed and confirmed the nomination. He also cited Section 57 of Sierra…

Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Technical and Higher Education has increased efforts to reform the country’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sector through a series of high-level engagements aimed at improving skill development, entrepreneurship, and the link between education and employment.The consultations, led by Minister Dr Haja Ramatulai Wurie, brought together international education specialists, industry representatives, and government stakeholders to devise practical measures that would align technical education with national development goals and current labour market needs. The commitment to adapt training programmes so that they respond to community economic activities and to support job creation through market-relevant instruction…

Shelter Afrique Development Bank (ShafDB) has unveiled a refreshed brand identity, including a new logo, marking a significant step forward in its transformation into a fully-fledged Multilateral Development Bank focused on accelerating housing and urban development across Africa. The new visual identity was revealed at the Bank’s 45th Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Rabat, Morocco, which was presided over by Morocco’s Minister of Economy and Finance, Ms Nadia Fettah. The rebrand is presented as more than a cosmetic change. According to Thierno-Habib Hann, Managing Director and CEO of Shelter Afrique Development Bank, the new identity reflects a larger institutional transformation:…

The Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Alpha Sesay, and the House of Parliament have formally ratified two major international instruments aimed at bolstering Sierra Leone’s justice sector reforms, expanding peaceful dispute resolution options, and reaffirming the country’s human rights obligations. Parliament approved the Convention on the Establishment of the International Organisation for Mediation (IOMed) (2020) and the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), aiming at the Abolition of the Death Penalty, which was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly under Resolution 44/128 on December 15, 1989. Attorney General Sesay presented the…

President Dr Julius Maada Bio has officially commissioned two landmark solar power plants: a 30-megawatt facility with a 15-megawatt-hour Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) in Newton and a 10-megawatt facility with a 6-megawatt-hour BESS in Lungi. The installations are the single largest addition to renewable generation capacity in Sierra Leone’s history. The projects were created as part of the Regional Emergency Solar Power Intervention (RESPITE) Project, which received World Bank funding. During the commissioning, President Bio described the plants as a watershed moment in the country’s efforts to achieve energy security, accelerate economic transformation, and promote sustainable development. He emphasised…

Dr David Sengeh, junior secondary students in Port Loko District Seven years after Dr. David Moinina Sengeh developed Sierra Leone’s National Innovation and Digital Strategy (NIDS) 2019-2029, which is based on the principle “Digitisation for All,” a randomised controlled trial demonstrates that advanced AI can meaningfully support classroom learning without replacing teachers. Google DeepMind tested Gemini’s “Guided Learning” in an eight-week study of 1,763 junior secondary students from 12 schools in Port Loko District, in collaboration with Fab AI and the Sierra Leone Ministry of Education. The trial examined whether an AI that focuses on conceptual understanding and scaffolding could improve outcomes while keeping teachers…