ECOWAS MPS DEMAND REGION-WIDE FGM BAN TO CLOSE LEGAL LOOPHOLES

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…

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COASTLINE IN CRISIS: 1.25M TONS OF SAND MINED YEARLY AS 53-METRE SHORE LOSS HITS FREETOWN

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…

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WFP UNVEILS FIVE-YEAR PLAN TO OVERHAUL SIERRA LEONE FOOD SYSTEMS

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,…

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CITY COUNCIL ALERTS MARKET WOMEN TO FAKE INSURANCE REGISTRATION SCAM

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…

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BIO, BOAKAI BREAK GROUND ON 255KM LIBERIA ROAD LINK TO DEEPEN WEST AFRICA TRADE

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,…

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DEMBY SECURES $800M PLEDGE FOR GLOBAL HEALTH FUNDING ROUND

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…

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