Sierra Leone’s State House on fire

Abubakar Hashim

Sierra Leone’s State House, the former seat of governance for British West Africa during the colonial era of colonial rule, was consumed by a mysterious fire on Saturday 12 April 2025.

The cause of the fire was, as the time of filing this story, yet unknown.

President Julius Maada Bio is currently out of the country to Turkey and his office in the building is not affected by the fire inferno.

The State House before the fire

However, his Press Secretary, Yusuf Keketoma’s office was completely burnt down and that of Bio’s Chief Spokesman, Alfa Kanu.

Vice President, who is currently Acting President, Juldeh Jalloh, expressed shock and dismay, when he visited the scene today. He called for “immediate, thorough investigation and audit of the fire inferno”.

The State House, is over 100 years old. A magnificent edifice, it was built by the Israelis and was the centre of power and governance in British West Africa.

The Governor General, was the Supreme Head in this beautiful edifice, governing the entire English speaking West Africa, including Nigeria, Ghana, The Gambia and he reported directly to Britain.

Together with Fourah Bay College, Sierra Leone’s State House, were the foundational structures for West Africa’s intelligentsia in the civil service and the academia.

Bishop Ajayi Crowther, the maternal grandfather of Herbert Macaulay, Nigeria’s father of nationalism; Chief Adekunle Ajasin, the late Governor of Ondo State; boardroom guru, Dr Christopher Kolade and many others studied at Fourah Bay College, Freetown.

*Abubakar Hashim is our West African Bureau Chief, based in Freetown, Sierra Leone