City of Freetown

Abubakar Hashim /Freetown

Africa and the World at large celebrated with Sierra Leone as it clocked 64 on April 27, 2025.  Among these countries is Nigeria, which has over 200 years of mutually beneficial relationship, even before both countries gained Independence from Britain. 64 hearty cheers to the “Athens of Africa”, a phrase culled from the country’s foundational status, through its landmark centre of learning that produced the best brains in Africa- Fourah Bay College, FBC

As Sierra Leone celebrated its 64th Independence Anniversary on April 27, 2025, the country, Africa and the world were in an upbeat mood, despite current existential local and global challenges.

Sierra Leone is a survivor of numerous catastrophes.  A devastating 11 year-old civil war, an Ebola scourge, a devastating mudslide, COVID-19 pandemic. Scores of people died, and millions of properties were destroyed. In all these traumas and catastrophes, the country emerged strong and roaring like a lion.  Overcoming all these disasters, to many well-wishers, is one of the greatest anniversary presents to Sierra Leone at 64!

Giant Strides, Despite Challenges

Why Sierra Leone called “Athens of Africa”

Sierra Leone remains a jewel in West Africa due to its abundant mineral resources, peopled with men and women of high intellectual pedigree. Despite severe challenges in the past, there are giant strides hereby chronicled for better understanding of a country once refered as the ‘‘Athens of Africa‘‘.

The genesis of the giant strides of Sierra Leone emanates from the country’s foundational structure as the educational nerve centre of Africa’s intellectuals.

Sierra Leone got the tag, “Athens of Africa”, through Fourah Bay College FBC, that was the bed-rock of learning for Africa’s intelligentsia.

President Bio

Founded in 1827 by the Catholic Missionary Society, CMS, the College produced the first crop of Africa’s intellectuals in the civil service and academia.  Located in the ancient and sprawling city of Freetown, it has also produced the best brains in Africa and beyond.

Prominent personalities like Samuel Ajayi Crowther, First Black African Anglican Bishop; Jomo Kenyatta, First President of Kenya; Adekunle Ajasin, First Civilian Governor of Ondo State in Nigeria; Dr. Aper Aku, First Civilian Governor of Benue State in Nigeria; Prof. Tam David-West, former Nigeria Minister of Petroleum Resources; and many others, schooled at FBC. The legendary legacy of FBC to Africa’s intelligentsia bequeathed the tag, “Athens of Africa,” culled from the city of Athens in Greece, the genesis of learning in the world.

Overcoming the 11 Year Old War

Overcoming the war was a major significant stride the country achieved to regain it’s past glory as the ‘‘ Athens of Africa‘‘.

The late President Ahmed Tegan Kabbah, officially, declared an end of the war in 2002. Overcoming the 11 year old war is a significant stride and achievement of Sierra Leone. Nigeria-led ECOMOG was in the forefront in liberating freetown and other provional regions. Right from 1997 when Kabbah was overthrown and fled into exile in neighbouring Guinea, Nigeria aided Sierra Leonean  troops to contain the rebels.

When the war had lightened, through the collaboration of Sierra Leone soldiers and the rebels, who constituted the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council AFRC, that overthrew late Kabbah, Nigeria, Guinea in particular, with Ghana and few other  West African countries, committed troops, that reversed the coup and restored Kabbah back to power, under the command of late General Maxwell Khobe.

Overcoming the 11 year old war, to maintain peace and stability, is, indeed, a significant stride in Sierra Leone at 64.

The Economy as the Country clocked 64

Like other African countries, the current state of the economy is hinged on the IMF and World Bank, along with other multilateral development partners’ assessment and review frameworks.  There have been consistent policy discussions with the IMF and other development agencies’ review teams in Freetown on the state of the economy.

The economy, like other African countries, is tied to the Extended Credit Facility ECF program, a fund that provides financial assistance to countries with protracted balance of payment deficits.

Minister of Finance, Sheku Fantamadi Bangura…
Maintaining economic stability

The policy discussions also snowballed into a consensus to stimulate measures to support macro-economic stability, fiscal and debt sustainability, stronger governance and improved social outcomes.

At 64, Sierra Leone’s economy, like other countries in Africa and the world at large, is affected by the global disruptions in the supply chains.  Since independence from Britain in 1961, the country has been, overwhelmingly, an import-oriented country.

The Bio–led administration is gradually shifting away from being solely import-dominated, onto an inward-looking economy, particularly in Agriculture and value addition on local produce.  The “Feed Salone” program, through local production of rice, onions, others, onto processing of iron ore into iron rods, nails, others. So far, the Bio government, since it assumed power in 2018 to date, has established up to 30 semi-processed industries in the country.

The economy is currently been further boosted by on going reforms at the Sierra Leone Ports and Harbours Authority SLPHA, whose DG Yankuba Bio, has introduced new reforms at the Ports. SLPHA now wears a new look, goods are now cleared on time, importers and exporters now operate with ease at the Ports. The same goes to Freetown International Airport, with a new look and operations, resulting from a build, operate and transfer BOT agreement with a Turkish firm, SUMA, for a 25 year period.

Feed Salone

Sierra Leone, like other African countries, is largely dominated by imported goods and services.  But current trend indicates an inward-looking strategy, particularly in food production to attain self-sufficiency and food sovereignty.

A program called ‘’Feed Salone’’ was launched about a few years ago. It is an offshoot of a 5-year National Development Transformation program NAT, 2018 – 2023, prioritising agriculture.

Feed Salone in strengthened by the personal commitment of President Bio, fortified and guided by a strong Presidential council and executed by the country’s Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.

President Bio observing locally produced onions to achieve food sufficiency

The overall objective is to boost agricultural productivity, achieve food security and inclusive economic growth, by changing the perception of attitudes of farmers and providing incentives for them to undertake agriculture as a business, from agriculture to agribusiness.

Today, Sierra Leone has drastically reduced the importation of rice, onions and allied food intakes.

As at March 2024, feed salone program has targeted smallholder farmers, commenced 20,000 hectares of rice production in all the 6 agroecological zones in the country, namely Tormabum in Bonthe District, Rhombe – Mambolo in Port Loko and Kambia, Gbondapi in Pujehun, Komrabai in Mamila, Senehun in Mayamba and Rolako in Bombali District.

Despite challenges in these zones, the country has realised significant strides in food production and sufficiency.

Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Kpaka harvesting local rice to boost food soverengnty

According to statistics Sierra Leone, inflation dropped sharply in March 2025, falling to 10.71% from 13.09 % in February, a 2.38% decrease. Three of Sierra Leone’s five regions now report single-digit inflation: East – 7.78%, North West – 9.04%, South – 7.43%.

Director-General, National Petroleum Regulatory Authority NPRA,  Brima Baluwa Koroma, has maintain petroleum products supply and price stability in the economy, by liberalising the down- stream sector. The market is now open with more marketers on board. This is a significant stride as Sierra Leone clocked 64.

The main challenge with the economy, as in other African countries, is the distribution of wealth and capital.  As late President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah once revealed to me in an exclusive interview at State House on the first anniversary of his first term in office in 1997, just 2 weeks before Johnny Paul’s coup, that took Kabbah to exile in neighbouring Guinea, “-the vast majority of Sierra Leoneans are a mass of starving illiterates, men, women and children, plunged for decades, in the most appalling obscurity”.

The obscurity of the people is the most formidable challenge for President Bio.  Various skill learning ventures of engagements for the youths are currently springing up nationwide, like car wash, gara dying, carpentry, tailoring, etc.

DG SLPHA, Yankuba Bio, Sustaining reforms at the Ports, the Gate-way to the economy

President Bio, in an exclusive interview with me on our September, 2020 Cover Edition: Economic Strides, Despite COVID – 19, revealed that despite economic gains during this period, income inequality is a major challenge, but was quick to add that “——I’m aware and equal to the task of bridging the inequality gap through my social intervention programs”.

Among such intervention programs, especially during COVID-19, is the “Quick Action Economic Response Program”, QAERP, a program, championed by the Ministry of Finance, in collaboration with key economic players in the management space like the Central Bank of Sierra Leone and the National Revenue Authority, to alleviate tremendously, the impact of COVID-19 on the economy and its citizens, restore macro-economic stability, thereby reducing the shocks on businesses and households.

Overcoming CoviD – 19

Despite severe global challenges posed by Covid-19, Sierra Leone came up with strategies to overcome its catastrophic impact to  its economy.

It was called Quick Action Economic Response Program QAERP.

Even before the first Covid came on 31 March, 2020, the Sierra Leone government had initiated steps, nationwide, to prevent importation  of Covid-19 from neighbouring  Guinea and Liberia, where COVID first struck and to reduce its expected impact on the people of Sierra Leone.

DG NPRA Brima Baluwa Koroma, maintaining fuel availability and price stability, through liberalizing the down-stream sector

The two approaches were called the Quick Action Economic Response Program QAERP and the Health Response Sector Program HRSP. These two strategies significantly helped to maintain economic stability and increased the COVID recovery record. Sierra Leone was among the top countries in West Africa to achieve this stride.

Current President Trump’s Tariff and its impacts on economic stability in Sierra Leone at 64

As the country clocked 64, the US President, Donald Trump, a few days ago, imposed a sweeping 10% baseline tariffs on all African goods, including those from Sierra Leone, into the US market.  Sierra Leone’s exports to the US include mainly Diamond, Iron Ore, Ginger, Cashew nuts and Cocoa.  The US imposed a 10% tariff on goods from Sierra Leone, despite a $90 million trade surplus in favour of the US as of 2024.  Trade records show $29 million in exports to the US and $199 million in US imports.

Regular supply and price stability of petroleum products

Though Trump’s tariffs could lead to global trade contracts, as revealed by the International Monetary Fund IMF and the World Trade Organisation WTO, it is a huge opportunity for Sierra Leone and other African countries to diversify exports and look inward to grow local production capacity.

The Bio-led government had long commenced inward–looking production programs like the “Feed Salone” agricultural program and semi-processed industries, which have received commendations at international fora, like the International  Institute of Tropical Agriculture, IITA in Nigeria. There will be minimal impact of Trump’s tariffs on the economy of Sierra Leone as local productivity has been boosted, and export diversification strategies are ongoing.

Launching of Air Sierra Leone

Air Sierra Leone was recently launched, with direct flights to Lagos and London.

So far, it has successfully been operational, departing and arriving on schedule. This development is a significant stride as the country clocked 64 days ago.

Air Sierra Leone is now making impact

Religious Tolerance in Sierra Leone

At 64, the country still enjoys religious harmony through intermarriages.  Muslims marry Christians and live together harmoniously.  At weddings, couples enter mosques and churches, hitch- free, a far-cry from other African countries with religious crises.

Former President, Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, once remarked that “religious tolerance in Sierra Leone is an exportable commodity to other African countries where there are religious strifes.”

Topographical Beauty

Sierra Leone is a tourist’s delight. Freetown is a peninsula, dotted with white sandy beaches, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. The hill sides and the mountainous views are second to none in West Africa.

Freetown peninsula, dotted with white sandy beaches

These strides, of Sierra Leone being the foundational educational centre of Africa, the political capital of West Africa, ending the war by maintaining peace, defeating Ebola and COVID-19, stablizing the economy, sanitizing the sea ports, airports and commencement of Air Sierra Leone, among others, are, indeed, a befitting anniversary present to Sierra Leone as it clocked 64, despite existential local and international challenges.