By Joseph Momoh, Daily ScopeFreetown, April 18, 2026 Foreign nationals working without valid permits in Sierra Leone and the businesses that hire them now face a $5,000 fine as the government ends its immigration grace period and moves to full enforcement. Minister of Employment, Labour and Social Security Mohamed Rahman Swaray announced the directive on…

By Saidu Jalloh, Daily ScopeFreetown, April 19, 2026 Members of the Economic Community of West African States have called on all member states to outlaw Female Genital Mutilation, warning that the practice fuels child exploitation and migration across the region. The appeal came during a joint committee meeting in Freetown under the theme “Parliamentary approaches…

By Kadijatu Bangura, Daily ScopeFreetown, April 19, 2026 More than 1.25 million tons of sand are extracted annually from the Freetown Peninsula and Lungi corridor, driving shoreline retreat and threatening tourism, ecosystems, and coastal infrastructure, World Bank findings show. Presenting an assessment of sand mining in selected tourism and coastal communities, Urban Research Centre Director…

By Joseph Momoh, Daily ScopeDaru, April 20, 2026 Residents of Daru are urging authorities to increase police patrols and install street lighting after a reported rise in nighttime harassment that has heightened fear across the township. In a formal appeal sent to this paper, resident Mustapha Abdul Aruna said locals have been targeted and pursued…

By Saidu Jalloh, Daily ScopeMakeni, April 19, 2026 HIV accounts for one in five adult deaths in Sierra Leone, a new report shows, with most victims either undiagnosed or not on treatment, exposing critical gaps in the national response. The findings were presented by the Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance programme at its 10th…

By Kadijatu Bangura, Daily Scope Freetown, April 19, 2026 The government and the United Nations World Food Programme have launched the WFP Country Strategic Plan 2026–2030, shifting the focus from emergency aid to long-term food system reform, nutrition, and resilience. Unveiled in Freetown before senior government officials, UN agency heads, development partners, and civil society,…

By Kadijatu Bangura, Daily Scope Freetown, April 19, 2026 The Freetown City Council has warned of a fraudulent registration scheme targeting market women in the capital, with impostors demanding payment to enroll them in the Heat Index Insurance Project. In a statement issued Saturday, the council said it received multiple reports of individuals moving through…

By Joseph Momoh, Daily Scope Bo Waterside, Liberia, April 19, 2026 President Julius Maada Bio joined Liberian President Joseph Nyuma Boakai Sr. on Saturday to launch a 255-kilometre road upgrade in Liberia, a project billed as a major step for regional integration and commerce across the Mano River Union. The project, structured under a Design,…

By Saidu Jalloh, Daily ScopeWashington, D.C., April 19, 2026 Health Minister Dr. Austin Demby has mobilized more than $800 million for the Global Financing Facility’s Transform 2030 Investment Round, rallying commitments on the margins of the World Bank Spring Meetings. Addressing sovereign donors, development partners, and global health leaders at the Mayflower Hotel, Dr. Demby…

By Kadijatu Bangura, Daily ScopeKamakwei, April 15, 2026 The government says construction of key bridges and roads in Karene District is on schedule, with at least two major bridges due for completion before the end of 2026 as part of a wider push to unlock the northwest transport corridor. Minister of Information and Civic Education…