On Friday 31st July 2026, the management of the Sierra Leone Ports and Harbours Authority (SLPHA) convened a stakeholders meeting to address recent concerns expressed by importers following the clarion call on the government to speed up their clearance process. The meeting which was chaired by the Director of Operations and Monitoring of the SLPHA, Foday Manso Koroma, brought together …

Freetown, July 30, 2026 — Ahead of the One Nation Reggae Festival in November this year, Sierra Leone’s cultural calendar is expected to reach a new height today as the One Nation Reggae Festival will be officially launched in Bo, Makeni, and Freetown, marking the start of a nationwide celebration of music, heritage, and unity. The Ministry of Tourism and …

After completing his landmark one-year term as Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio on Sunday, 19th July, 2026 passed the mantle of leadership to his younger brother, His Excellency Bassirou Diomaya Faye, President of the Republic of Senegal. This is the first time in the 51-year-old history of the …

At the close of the 69th Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government at Lungi in the Kaffu Bullom Chiefdom, Port Loko district, the President of the Republic of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama, openly thanked President Bio for his magnanimity in paving the way for former President Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma to return to Sierra Leone …

𝐁𝐲 𝐀𝐛𝐝𝐮𝐥 𝐌𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐤 𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐫𝐚 𝐄𝐒𝐐 The decision of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Authority of Heads of State and Government to elect a new Chairperson in 2026 instead of retaining Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio for another term has generated considerable public debate. Some have interpreted the outcome as a vote of no confidence in Sierra …

𝐁𝐲 𝐒𝐡𝐞𝐤𝐮 𝐓𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐚 Sierra Leone has secured another significant leadership position within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) following the approval of the appointment of the country’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Madam Francess P. Alghali, as the new ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security. The appointment was endorsed by the ECOWAS Authority …

As the curtains drew down on the 69th ECOWAS Summit on Sunday, July 19th, at Lungi, across the Freetown estuary, President Bio and Sierra Leone have added another defining chapter to their diplomatic history. The successful hosting of the 69th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government was more than a routine gathering of regional …

On 1st July, 2026 the Minister of Internal Affairs (apparently acting on behalf of the Government of Sierra Leone) ordered the temporary suspension of the payment of the USD25 Airport Security Fee at Freetown International Airport. The temporary suspension is expected to last for six months, according to a leaked internal memo from the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The contract …

At the third Presidential Townhall meeting held in the Northern headquarter town of Makeni yesterday, President Julius Maada Bio disclosed that Sierra Leone will host the ECOWAS Summit at Lungi, Kaffu Bullom Chiefdom, Port Loko district on 19th July, 2026. This is the first time Sierra Leone is hosting the ECOWAS Summit since its establishment on 28th May, 1975. The …

The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has completed the Third Review of Sierra Leone’s Extended Credit Facility (ECF) Programme, unlocking an immediate disbursement of approximately US$31.72 million to support the Government’s ongoing economic reform agenda. The latest disbursement brings total IMF support under the ECF arrangement to approximately US$158.6 million, underscoring the Fund’s continued confidence in Sierra …