By Claudia Redwood-Sawyerr
The Ministry of Information and Civic Education has launched nationwide consultations on the draft Right to Access Information and Data Protection Regulatory Commission Bill, a landmark step toward protecting personal data and strengthening Sierra Leone’s digital future.
Funded by Irish Aid through the UNDP, the process was officially opened at the Miatta Conference Centre and is being developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Communication, Technology and Innovation. The draft law aligns with international best practices, including the EU’s GDPR and the African Union’s Malabo Convention.
Minister Chernor Bah described the draft as “one of the best data protection laws in the region,” noting that without such legislation, Sierra Leone has faced serious limitations in intelligence sharing, trade, investment, and personal data protection. He also warned about the monetization of citizens’ data without their consent, stressing that the bill addresses fundamental aspects of both personal privacy and the nation’s economic wellbeing.
Minister of Communication, Salima Bah, underscored the urgency of safeguarding citizens—particularly children—from data misuse and pledged her ministry’s full technical support.
The opening consultation featured remarks from key partners, including the Information Commissioner at the Right to Access Information Commission (RAIC), representatives from UNDP, the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ), and civil society, represented by CHRDI.
Stakeholders from the media, civil society, human rights groups, the security sector, and key data institutions such as NCRA will spend two full day reviewing the draft law and the proposed infrastructure for its roll out. The consultations will now move across the country to ensure broad national input before the final validation process.
