Local News
Shell Secures Reconnaissance Deal for Offshore Sierra Leone Oil Hunt
By Saidu Jalloh, D.S Shell has entered Sierra Leone’s upstream sector after signing a reconnaissance permit with the government to assess the country’s offshore oil and gas prospects, the Petroleum Directorate of Sierra Leone (PDSL) confirmed Wednesday. The agreement grants the British energy major rights to carry out advanced geological and geophysical surveys across roughly…
President Bio Breaks Ground on Sierra Leone’s First Industrial Fishing Port at Black Johnson
By Kadijatu Bangura, D.S Black Johnson, Western Area Rural District Thursday, April 23, 2026 President Julius Maada Bio on Thursday launched construction of the Julius Maada Bio Industrial Fishing Port at Black Johnson, in a move the government says will anchor Sierra Leone’s push into the Blue Economy and overhaul its fisheries sector. Addressing stakeholders…
$35M Debt, $6.3M Wage Backlog: Govt Leans on Africell Deal to Resurrect Sierratel
By Kadijatu Bangura, D.S The Government of Sierra Leone has unveiled plans to restore state-owned Sierratel through a 10-year partnership with Africell, despite the telecom’s $35 million debt to EXIM Bank and $6.3 million in outstanding wage liabilities. Speaking at the Ministry of Information and Civic Education’s weekly press briefing, Minister of Communication, Technology and…
AG Urges Deeper ECOWAS Judicial Ties to Bolster Regional Justice
By Joseph Momoh, D.S Freetown, April 23, 2026 Attorney General and Minister of Justice Alpha Sesay on Wednesday called for enhanced judicial cooperation across West Africa, saying stronger ties are vital to protecting human rights, advancing the rule of law, and driving economic integration within ECOWAS. Speaking at the opening of the Statutory Meeting of…
Court Denies Bail to Two Men Charged Over Theft of Rare $37,000 Heart Scanner
By Saidu Jalloh, D.S Freetown Two Freetown businessmen have been remanded in custody over the theft of a specialised echocardiography machine valued at $37,100, one of only two such devices available in Sierra Leone’s healthcare system. Abdul Jabba Mansaray and Joseph Bellon appeared before Magistrate John Manso Fornah at Pademba Road Court No. 2 to…
Civil Rights Coalition Commends Government Delegation Led by the Minister of Finance at IMF/World Bank Spring Meetings 2026, Highlights Gains for Education Sector
The Civil Rights Coalition (CRC), a civil society organization dedicated to advancing quality education and human capital development, warmly commends the Honourable Minister of Finance, Sheku Ahmed Fantamadi Bangura, for his exemplary leadership in representing Sierra Leone at the IMF/World Bank Spring Meetings 2026 held in Washington, D.C. The Coalition further recognizes the strategic inclusion…
RSLAF Decorates 54 Pujehun-Based Troops for Long Service, Exemplary Conduct
By Saidu Jalloh, D.S The Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF) on Friday, April 17, honoured 54 personnel of the 14th Infantry Battalion at Maple Leaf Barracks, Pujehun District, with Long Service and Good Conduct Awards in recognition of discipline, professionalism, and sustained commitment to duty. The ceremony drew senior military officers, representatives of…
Ghana, Sierra Leone to Establish Permanent Joint Commission for Cooperation
By Saidu Jalloh, D.S Ghana and Sierra Leone are poised to sign a Permanent Joint Commission for Cooperation (PJCC) on Thursday, April 23, in a move expected to bolster bilateral relations and drive coordinated development across key sectors. A Sierra Leonean delegation headed by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Francess Piagie Alghali…
Sierra Leone Taps Swiss Tech Giant Bühler to Drive Agro-Processing Push
By Joseph Momoh, D.S The Government of Sierra Leone is finalizing a strategic partnership with Bühler AG, the Swiss industrial technology firm, to fast-track agro-industrialisation and shift the country from raw commodity exports to high-value food processing. The collaboration was advanced during a high-level food systems forum held at Brookfields Hotel in Freetown. The event,…
UNDP, Gov’t Roll Out ‘Sierra Ride’ Electric Taxi Scheme to Boost Youth, Cut Emissions
By Kadijatu Bangura, D.S The Ministry of Youth Affairs, together with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), announced on Wednesday, April 22, that it has opened applications for “Sierra Ride,” a pilot program introducing electric vehicles into Sierra Leone’s commercial transport sector to curb emissions and modernize urban mobility. The initiative forms part of government’s…