Tuesday, 9th September 2025
Key Highlights
By: Zacharia Jalloh, Ministry of Information and Civic Education
The Ministry of Information and Civic Education convened its weekly press conference on Tuesday, 9th September 2025, to update citizens on government programs, reforms, and partnerships across multiple sectors. From civic engagement and education subsidies to healthcare recruitment and donor support, the session highlighted the government’s continued efforts to strengthen service delivery and foster accountability. The following are the key highlights:
Return of the National Civic Day Series
Minister of Information and Civic Education, Chernor Bah, announced the return of the National Civic Day Series, an initiative designed to bring government closer to the people by encouraging civic engagement, dialogue, and governance accountability. The first session will take place on 15th and 16th September 2025 in Bombali District, Makeni, and will feature ministers and local stakeholders. Minister Bah also revealed that in December, the National Civic Festival will return with a three-day cultural exhibition, trade fair, national dialogue, debate, and musical concert, with dates to be announced soon.
Census Mapping Training by Statistics Sierra Leone
In another announcement, Minister Bah reported that Statistics Sierra Leone has commenced a week-long regional cartographic mapping training in Makeni, Bo, Kenema, Port Loko, and Freetown simultaneously. This exercise marks the second phase of training to build capacity in preparation for the 2026 National Census.
Education Subsidies and Teachers’ Payroll Issues
The Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education, Conrad Sackey, confirmed that as of 6th September 2025, the Government of Sierra Leone had paid NLe 82,514,470 as school subsidy for the first and second terms of the 2024/25 academic year. He further announced that the government has now fully paid both terms’ subsidies, totaling NLe 113,287,870. Minister Sackey stressed that since his appointment, the government has consistently met its school subsidy obligations. He also assured the Teachers’ Union that the government will clear payments for retired teachers and disburse first term subsidies for the 2025/2026 academic year on schedule.
Addressing the suspension of 4,900 teachers from the payroll, Minister Sackey explained that the Teachers’ Union had presented cases of genuine teachers affected. Following thorough engagements, 1,802 teachers were immediately restored to the payroll. Discussions are ongoing to verify the suspension list further. Minister Sackey reassured the public that schools will reopen on or before 15th September 2025.
Launch of Health Worker Recruitment Portal
Minister of Health, Dr. Austin Demby, announced the launch of a new online portal for the recruitment of 3,000 health workers. He emphasized that this innovative approach ensures transparency, fairness, and accountability throughout the process. Citizens were urged to apply via www.recruitment.mohs.gov.sl, with the assurance that the process is free and requires no personal connections.
Progress in the Health Sector
Providing an overview of the sector, Dr. Demby highlighted remarkable achievements, including a 76% reduction in maternal mortality—the fastest decline recorded globally—and a vaccination coverage rate above 95% over the past five years. On Mpox, he announced that cases have drastically reduced from 200 daily infections to single-digit numbers, reflecting the effectiveness of health interventions.
Monitoring the Big Five Agenda
The Minister of Planning and Economic Development, Kenyeh Barlay, provided an assessment of the implementation of the Big Five Agenda. She reported that 137 targets and over 300 policy actions were reviewed, with strong progress recorded in Feed Salone, health, fisheries, and social protection. Other sectors such as education, child affairs, and youth employment were assessed as performing satisfactorily. Minister Barlay confirmed that the full scorecard will be made available to the public through the Ministry of Information and Civic Education’s website.
Donor Commitments and Partnerships
The Development Secretary at the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development, Ambrose James, spoke on Sierra Leone’s relationship with development partners. He revealed that donors commit approximately $650 million annually, with a disbursement rate of 65% to 70%, reflecting the government’s commitment to delivering results. He provided a breakdown of 2024 commitments: the UK contributed $41 million, up from $35 million in 2023; Germany committed $16 million, down from $18 million; the United States, through the MCC, contributed $480 million with additional grants totaling $26 million; Ireland committed $13 million; and the World Bank pledged $190 million.
Shifts in Donor Support and Private Sector Investment
Mr. James also noted a decline in donor support over the last decade, prompting a shift in Sierra Leone’s foreign policy. He explained that the government is now collaborating with development partners to leverage private sector investments instead of relying solely on direct aid. Key initiatives being promoted include the Mineral Wealth Fund, Agricultural Technology in Kono, and Climate Finance Technology, all designed to attract private sector capital and accelerate national development.
