On the 7th November 2025, the Ministry of Information and Civic Education concluded the final national validation of the Data Protection and Right to Access Information Bill, 2025 — one of the most forward-looking and transformative pieces of legislation in Sierra Leone’s recent history.
This has been an inclusive and substantive process, shaped by voices from across our regions and institutions — Members of Parliament, local council leaders, security sector leaders, the Electoral Commission (ECSL), civil society, the media, academia, and the private sector.
The Ministry wants to thank partners, especially Irish Aid and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), for their steadfast support throughout this journey.
This is no ordinary Bill. It will change things!
It will change how banks operate — ensuring that your financial data is protected and that institutions are accountable for how they use it.
It will change how mobile companies handle your personal information — your phone number, your digital footprint, your messages — making sure consent, transparency, and privacy are at the core of their operations.
It will change how government treats your personal data — from your tax records to your health information — introducing safeguards and penalties for misuse or unauthorized access.
It will change how journalists and ordinary citizens use and share personal information — setting responsible boundaries for what can or cannot be published or shared online about someone’s private life.
It will change how our country participates in trade and global markets, aligning Sierra Leone with international data standards that make it easier for our businesses and startups to operate regionally and globally.
And yes, it will also change how intelligence and security agencies use information, balancing national security with citizens’ rights to privacy.
Here’s why this matters…
For the first time, Sierra Leone will have a single, independent authority responsible for both data protection and access to information. This means citizens will have stronger rights to know — and control — how their personal data is collected, stored, and used.
It will protect privacy.
It will strengthen accountability.
It will build trust between citizens, government, and institutions.
This Bill is part of His Excellency Julius Maada Bio’s vision to make Sierra Leone a more open, secure, and digitally ready nation — one where information empowers, not endangers.
The Ministry is Grateful to everyone who contributed to this process — from experts and activists to public officials and citizens, not least colleague Ministers of Communication, Technology and Innovation, Internal Affairs, the Attorney General and Minister of Justice and many others.
The path ahead is clear: a future where information is free, but personal data is safe. Next stop is cabinet approval.
The Ministry of Information and Civic Education
