Vice President Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh has announced a two-week regional tour aimed at strengthening decentralization, improving public-service delivery and deepening cooperation between central and local government institutions across Sierra Leone.
The tour will take the Vice President to the regional headquarter towns of Kenema, Bo, Makeni and Port Loko, where he will hold consultations with Paramount Chiefs, local councils, heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies, and other key stakeholders.
The engagements will focus on the opportunities and challenges affecting decentralization and local governance, while creating a platform for stakeholders to discuss practical measures for improving coordination and delivering essential services to communities.
Announcing the initiative, Vice President Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh said the consultations would allow him to hear directly from institutions and individuals involved in governance and development at the local level.
“Over the next two weeks, I will be visiting our regional headquarter towns to engage with Paramount Chiefs, Local Councils, Heads of MDAs, and other key stakeholders on the opportunities and challenges facing decentralization and local governance in Sierra Leone,” he stated.
As Chairman of the Interministerial Committee on Local Governance and Decentralization, Vice President Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh said listening to communities and strengthening collaboration among public institutions remain essential to improving governance.
“I look forward to listening, learning, and working together to identify practical solutions that strengthen coordination, improve service delivery, and bring government closer to the people,” he added.
The Vice President emphasised that effective local governance remains a central pillar of the Government’s broader governance and development agenda. He said empowering local institutions would help ensure that citizens experience tangible development benefits within their communities.
The regional consultations are expected to produce recommendations that will support continuing reforms and strengthen collaboration among central government institutions, local councils and traditional authorities.
Sierra Leone revived its decentralization process in 2004 following the enactment of the Local Government Act, which restored democratically elected local councils after more than three decades. The legislation transferred several responsibilities from central government institutions to local authorities.
The country currently has 22 local councils and 190 chiefdoms, which perform significant roles in local administration, community development and public-service delivery.
The Ministry of Local Government and Community Affairs regards decentralization as an important mechanism for increasing citizen participation, strengthening accountability and improving access to public services.
The Local Government Act of 2022 further strengthened the legal framework governing devolution and introduced additional reforms intended to improve the operation of local authorities.
Against this background, Vice President Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh said the regional tour would contribute to the Government’s efforts to enhance grassroots participation and ensure that development priorities reflect the needs of communities.
“Strong local governance is essential to building a more accountable, responsive, and inclusive Sierra Leone,” Vice President Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh declared.
