AGP Executive Report

Climate Extremes & Health: A new review finds floods, droughts and extreme heat are taking a growing mental health toll in West Africa, with women and low-income communities hit hardest, and it flags big research gaps across the region including Sierra Leone. Hospital Sanitation: Sierra Leone’s Health Ministry launched a nationwide pest and disease control drive across public hospitals, deploying trained vector and pest control teams to cut healthcare-associated infections under the 300 Days of Activism campaign. Coastal Erosion & Livelihoods: An opposition MP is pushing for written guarantees for Cabbage Beach vendors as temporary fencing and pilings are planned to address severe beach erosion tied to a major tourism development. Biodiversity Protection: The new Conservation Trust Fund chair met NDMA to strengthen disaster risk reduction and biodiversity protection, including plans for biodiversity offset mapping in sensitive areas like Yawri Bay and the Sierra Leone River Estuary. Fisheries & Ports: Sierra Leone’s fisheries ministry studied Tema Port management in Ghana to guide its planned $55M fishing industrial port, while China-backed investment talks continue ahead of WAIIS 2026. City Climate Action: Freetown City Council released its mid-term report, highlighting progress in climate action alongside jobs, training, and external funding.

Hospital Infection Control: Sierra Leone’s Health Ministry launched a nationwide pest and disease fumigation drive across all public hospitals, deploying 124 trained vector and pest control officers to cut healthcare-associated infections under the 300 Days of Activism campaign. Urban Climate Action & Jobs: Freetown City Council Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr rolled out the “Transform Freetown, Transforming Lives” mid-term report (2024–2026), citing climate action as the biggest pathway, with major beneficiary and job figures plus external funding. Beach Erosion & Vendor Rights: An MP pressed for written guarantees for Cabbage Beach vendors as the Ministry of Tourism moves ahead with temporary fencing and pilings tied to erosion control for the Four Seasons Ocean Club project. Biodiversity Protection: The new Conservation Trust Fund chair met NDMA to strengthen disaster risk reduction and biodiversity protection, including plans for biodiversity offset mapping in sensitive areas like Yawri Bay and the Sierra Leone River Estuary. Skills for a Changing Economy: Sierra Leone outlined TVET reforms—upgrading technical institutes into community colleges and expanding apprenticeships and mobile training units—at a youth forum in Rabat, alongside a broader youth employment vision. Fisheries & Ports: Sierra Leone’s fisheries ministry studied Ghana’s Tema port management ahead of a new $55m fishing industrial port, while FAO coverage highlighted global moves toward greener, better-governed fisheries. Climate Extremes & Mental Health: A review warns that floods, droughts and extreme heat are worsening mental health across West Africa, with Sierra Leone among the countries studied.

Climate Extremes & Mental Health: A new West Africa review links floods, droughts and extreme heat to rising anxiety, depression and psychological distress, with women and low-income farming communities hit hardest, and Sierra Leone among the few countries with usable studies. Hospital Fumigation & Infection Control: Sierra Leone’s Health Ministry launched a nationwide pest and disease control drive across public hospitals, deploying trained vector-control teams to cut healthcare-associated infections as part of the 300 Days of Activism campaign. Beach Erosion & Vendor Access: An opposition MP pressed for written guarantees for Cabbage Beach vendors as planned erosion-control fencing and pilings tied to a tourism project are said to be temporary but could restrict access. Biodiversity Protection & Disaster Risk: The new Conservation Trust Fund chair met NDMA to strengthen data sharing and enforcement, including biodiversity offset mapping plans in sensitive areas like Yawri Bay and the Sierra Leone River Estuary. Youth Skills for a Changing Climate Economy: Sierra Leone outlined reforms to expand TVET, apprenticeships and community colleges, with a push into digital skills and the green economy to prepare young people for shifting labour demands. Fisheries & Port Learning: Sierra Leone’s fisheries ministry studied Ghana’s Tema port management ahead of a planned $55m fishing industrial port, aiming to apply lessons to Sierra Leone’s own development. Freetown Climate Action Progress: Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr released the “Transform Freetown, Transforming Lives” mid-term report, highlighting climate action projects, jobs created and external funding secured.

Fisheries & Ports: Sierra Leone’s Fisheries Minister Princess Dugba led a technical visit to Ghana’s Tema Port to study port management ahead of a $55m Chinese-backed fishing industrial port expected within two years. Climate & Health: A new West Africa review links floods, drought and extreme heat to rising mental health stress, with women, low-income communities and farmers hit hardest—Sierra Leone is among the few countries with studies. Freetown Climate Action: Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr launched the “Transform Freetown, Transforming Lives” mid-term report, highlighting climate action and jobs created through council projects. WAIIS 2026 Investment Push: China signalled support for Sierra Leone’s WAIIS 2026 drive, with talks on expanding Chinese private sector roles in energy, minerals, agribusiness and digital transformation. Biodiversity Protection: The new CTF executive chair met NDMA to strengthen biodiversity protection, including plans for biodiversity offset mapping in key protected areas. Youth Skills for a Greener Economy: Sierra Leone outlined TVET reforms—upgrading institutes into community colleges and expanding apprenticeships—plus youth employment plans at a Rabat forum. Extreme Heat Warning: Global data shows the hottest June-to-August on record for 1.3 billion people, underscoring worsening heat risks across regions.

Maternal Health & Nutrition: New research links anaemia to severe postpartum haemorrhage, spotlighting a potential supplement approach to cut pregnancy-related deaths, especially where aid is shrinking. Urban Climate Action: Freetown City Council Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr launched the “Transform Freetown, Transforming Lives” mid-term report (2024–2026), citing climate action progress alongside jobs, training, and external funding. Coastal Erosion & Public Access: An MP pressed for written guarantees for Cabbage Beach vendors as temporary fencing and pilings are planned to manage “severe beach erosion” tied to tourism development. Biodiversity Protection: Sierra Leone’s Conservation Trust Fund named a new executive chair and moved to strengthen biodiversity protection with plans for biodiversity offset mapping in key protected areas and tighter rules around construction. Skills for Resilience: IOM Sierra Leone began onboarding partners for a second EU-funded TVET cohort, aiming to boost practical skills for returnees and vulnerable youth. Youth & Green Economy Skills: Sierra Leone presented its youth employment vision in Rabat, stressing technical training, digital transformation, and the green economy. Disaster Risk & Inclusion: A study highlights how climate hazards can deepen barriers for people with disabilities—an urgent reminder for Sierra Leone’s disaster planning.

WAIIS 2026 Investment Push: Sierra Leone’s WAIIS 2026 preparations are gaining momentum after Chinese Ambassador Zhao Yong met Special Envoy Dr. Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella, with talks focused on bringing in Chinese private sector firms for regional integration, industrialisation and sustainable development, alongside cooperation under PI-CREF for renewable energy and food security. Skills for a Changing Climate-Linked Economy: Sierra Leone used the Youth Knowledge Forum in Rabat to outline reforms expanding TVET into community colleges, apprenticeships and mobile training units, with a stronger push for digital transformation, AI, cybersecurity and green economy pathways for youth jobs. Beach Erosion, Public Access Tensions: Freetown’s Cabbage Beach vendors are asking for written guarantees after proposed erosion control works tied to the Four Seasons Ocean Club project, with the Ministry of Tourism saying fencing and pilings are temporary but access may be affected. Biodiversity Protection Gets a New Boss: The new CTF Executive Chairman met NDMA leadership to strengthen biodiversity protection and disaster risk reduction, including plans for biodiversity offset mapping in sensitive areas like Yawri Bay and the Sierra Leone River Estuary. EU-Funded TVET Rollout: IOM Sierra Leone began onboarding partners in Freetown and Makeni for the second cohort of EU-funded TVET training to support returnees and vulnerable youth with practical skills for reintegration.

Beach Erosion & Vendor Rights: An opposition MP says Cabbage Beach vendors need written guarantees after planned erosion control works for the Four Seasons Ocean Club Residences project could temporarily affect access; the Ministry of Tourism says fencing and pilings are temporary and for public safety. Water Protection: Sierra Leone’s National Water Resources Management Agency (NWRMA) is stepping up enforcement against unregistered or unpermitted raw water abstraction, with compliance visits to mining, farms, hotels and other users amid rising demand, pollution and climate pressure. Biodiversity Safeguards: The new Conservation Trust Fund chair met NDMA to strengthen disaster risk reduction and biodiversity protection, including plans for biodiversity offset mapping in sensitive areas like Yawri Bay and the Sierra Leone River Estuary. Skills for a Greener Economy: IOM Sierra Leone begins onboarding for a second EU-funded TVET cohort to train returnees and vulnerable youth with market-relevant skills for sustainable reintegration. Youth Employment & Green Skills: Sierra Leone outlined its youth employment vision in Rabat, stressing practical technical training, digital transformation, entrepreneurship and green economy pathways. Regional Investment for Sustainability: Sierra Leone prepares to host WAIIS 2026 (Nov 1–2) with a focus on energy, green industrialisation, minerals, agribusiness and digital transformation. Heat Records: A global report flags the hottest June–August on record for 1.3 billion people, underscoring the urgency of climate resilience planning.

Marine & Fisheries Governance: Sierra Leone-linked debate at FAO COFI spotlights how global value chains can improve fisheries when transparency and shared responsibility are built in. Youth Skills & Jobs: Sierra Leone used the Youth Knowledge Forum in Rabat to push technical training, digital transformation, entrepreneurship and green-economy skills for a changing labour market. Beach Erosion & Livelihoods: Freetown’s Cabbage Beach vendors are demanding written guarantees after proposed erosion control works tied to the Four Seasons Ocean Club plan temporary fencing and pilings that could affect access. Climate Heat Signals: New Copernicus-linked reporting says the hottest June–August on record hit 1.3 billion people, with extreme heat, drought and smoke impacts across multiple regions. Biodiversity Protection: The new CTF chairman says stronger collaboration with NDMA will back biodiversity protection, including offset mapping plans for sensitive areas like Yawri Bay and the Sierra Leone River Estuary. Water Security: NWRMA is stepping up enforcement against unregulated raw water abstraction, warning that pollution and climate pressures are increasing strain on surface and groundwater. Disaster Inclusion: A study highlights how climate hazards can deepen barriers for people with disabilities—an issue Sierra Leone is urged to plan for in early warning, evacuation and shelters. Ebola Preparedness: A report warns the DRC’s Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak could become a wider epidemic, stressing the difficulty of tracking fast-moving spread. WAIIS 2026 Investment Push: Sierra Leone and China discussed boosting private-sector participation in WAIIS 2026, with a focus on energy, green industrialisation, minerals, agribusiness and digital transformation.

Biodiversity Protection: Sierra Leone’s Conservation Trust Fund (CTF) has moved to tighten protection of environmentally sensitive areas, including plans for biodiversity offset mapping around Yawri Bay, the Western Area Peninsula and the Sierra Leone River Estuary, while warning it will not issue offset certificates for construction inside protected areas. Disaster Risk & Inclusion: A new study highlights how climate hazards can deepen barriers for people with disabilities, pointing to gaps in accessible early-warning systems, evacuation routes and shelters—an issue Sierra Leone faces as climate-related disasters intensify. Water Security: The National Water Resources Management Agency (NWRMA) is stepping up enforcement against unregulated water abstraction, running compliance visits to identify users without permits and to tackle pollution and rising demand pressures on surface and groundwater. Youth Skills for a Greener Economy: Sierra Leone says it is expanding technical institutes into community colleges, adding apprenticeships and mobile training units, and pushing competency-based training—aimed at jobs and sectors including the green economy. Climate Policy & Science: At UN climate talks, diplomats warn that climate science is under attack, with concerns that fossil-fuel interests are shaping a “polluted narrative” that could stall progress.

Alternative Bondo in Port Loko: In Mabalay, 55 women took part in “Bloodless Bondo,” keeping the songs and teachings but rejecting cutting and blood—an effort by AIM-SL to separate cultural rites from FGM. Disability and climate risk: A new study links climate disasters to deeper barriers for people with disabilities, echoing Sierra Leone’s challenges with inaccessible early warnings, evacuation routes, and shelters. Water protection push: NWRMA is stepping up compliance checks to curb unregulated raw water abstraction, targeting businesses and institutions without permits as pollution and climate pressures mount. Environmental rights on the ground: Green Scenery Sierra Leone held community engagement in Pujehun to boost legal literacy and collective protection for environmental rights defenders, focusing on land and environmental rights. Transport delivery priorities: Sierra Leone’s Transport Ministry outlined road, railway, aviation and maritime priorities at a Strategic Delivery Clinic, aiming to align projects with the Medium-Term National Development Plan. Regional investment drive: Sierra Leone will host the inaugural West Africa Integration and Investment Summit (WAIIS) on 17–18 November in Lungi, with a focus on energy, green industrialisation, minerals, agribusiness and digital connectivity. Social welfare grants: The Ministry of Social Welfare disbursed Le300,000 welfare grants to 15 organisations in Freetown supporting vulnerable groups.

Water & Pollution Watch: Sierra Leone’s National Water Resources Management Agency (NWRMA) is stepping up enforcement against unregulated water abstraction, running compliance visits to mining, farms, hotels and other users to check permits, registration and pollution risks as demand and climate pressures mount. Sanitation & Clean Energy: Freetown is scaling biodigesters that turn organic waste into biogas—cutting charcoal use and fuel costs while feeding generators for market cold rooms and improving sanitation with new public toilets. Ebola Preparedness: A clinical trial for an oral Ebola treatment linked to the Bundibugyo outbreak in DR Congo has been registered for Phase II, as health experts warn the outbreak could spread further. Community & Environmental Rights: Green Scenery Sierra Leone is supporting land-affected communities in Pujehun with legal literacy and safe advocacy training to strengthen environmental rights defenders’ ability to document and report issues. Security & Community Policing: Sierra Leone’s internal affairs minister urged tighter police-community partnerships and better equipment and detention conditions as the police service expands community policing and cybercrime capacity. Health Systems: Connaught Hospital has reopened a rehabilitated patient registration post to improve patient experience and service delivery.

Water Regulation Push: NWRMA is stepping up compliance checks to curb unregistered raw water abstraction, visiting mining, hotels, farms and other users to verify permits and update its water-user database as pollution and climate pressures mount. Sanitation & Clean Energy in Freetown: Freetown City Council is installing biodigesters that turn organic waste into biogas for cooking and power, including upgrades at Congo Town and Hagan Street Market with new public toilets and generator-linked cold storage. Ebola Preparedness: With DRC’s Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak spreading fast, a Phase II oral drug trial (NV-387) has been registered in the Pan African Clinical Trials Registry and is ready to begin, as health systems brace for expansion. Community Environmental Rights: Green Scenery Sierra Leone is running legal literacy and collective protection sessions for land-affected communities in Pujehun, training residents to document and advocate safely for environmental rights. Regional Health Financing: Sierra Leone joined an Africa-wide workshop on measuring the economic returns of health spending, linking better health to jobs, productivity and household stability.

Climate Tech for Freetown: Freetown City Council is scaling biodigesters that turn organic waste into biogas for cooking and power, cutting charcoal use and improving sanitation at sites like Congo Town and Hagan Street Market. Environmental Justice & Land Rights: Green Scenery Sierra Leone, with Protection International, held community engagement in Pujehun to strengthen legal literacy and collective protection for environmental rights defenders, focusing on customary and national land laws and safe advocacy. Disaster Risk & Early Warnings: NDMA’s Erica Konneh urged more inclusive, people-centred early warning systems at the Africa Early Warnings Forum, stressing trusted channels for women, people with disabilities, and remote communities. Press Freedom: SLAJ is pushing for a dedicated constitutional chapter on freedom of expression and press independence, arguing current protections are not strong enough. Child Marriage Push: The UN General Assembly adopted Sierra Leone-led action to make November 27 the International Day to end child, early and forced marriage, with Sierra Leone’s First Lady Fatima Maada Bio highlighted in global advocacy. Health Services: Connaught Hospital reopened a rehabilitated Patient Registration Post to improve patient experience and service delivery.

Climate-smart sanitation in Freetown: Freetown is scaling up biodigesters to cut waste, lower fuel costs and improve health—Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr visited Congo Town biodigester sites and Hagan Street Market, where biogas will power a generator for a cold room to boost traders’ incomes. Environmental rights and land protection: Green Scenery Sierra Leone held a community engagement in Pujehun on strengthening legal literacy for environmental rights defenders, focusing on customary land rights and safer advocacy, including digital security. Border protection for women traders: MARWOPNET trained border stakeholders in Jendema (Pujehun) on reporting mechanisms to protect cross-border women traders from sexual exploitation and abuse, bringing together immigration, security and health actors. Land rights under carbon projects: A new report flags concerns about a forestry carbon initiative in Tonkolili and Port Loko, questioning “degraded land” claims and how communities understand and benefit from carbon credit arrangements. Disaster preparedness: NDMA’s Erica Konneh called for early warning systems that are inclusive and reach vulnerable communities through trusted, understandable channels. Global child marriage push with Sierra Leone at the center: The UN General Assembly adopted a Sierra Leone-led resolution making Nov 27 an international day to end child, early and forced marriage, with Sierra Leone’s First Lady Fatima Maada Bio highlighted in the campaign.

Maternal health pressure: A new report warns Africa’s progress on maternal and newborn survival is stalling, with preventable causes like postpartum hemorrhage still driving deaths and delays in care and facility readiness. LGBTQ rights crackdown: Sierra Leone police raided a private gay party at Hill Valley Hotel in Freetown and issued warrants for activists, raising fresh concerns about how rarely the anti-gay law has been enforced. Disaster preparedness: Sierra Leone’s NDMA urged more inclusive, people-centred early warning systems so warnings reach women, people with disabilities, and remote communities through trusted channels. Port corruption warning: Freetown’s Chief Minister Sengeh warned police at the Queen Elizabeth II Quay against demanding bribes from truck drivers during port decongestion. Land rights and carbon credits: A rights-focused report questions community consent and benefit-sharing in a Tonkolili/Port Loko forestry carbon project, including how “degraded lands” are defined. Digital epidemic response: NPHA and GOAL launched a roadmap to modernise Sierra Leone’s contact tracing with digital tools to speed outbreak response. Women’s finance push: AfDB and AXIAN launched a programme to expand digital finance and training for 34,000 women-led enterprises across Africa. Global child marriage push: Sierra Leone-led UN action helped establish Nov 27 as an International Day to end child, early and forced marriage, with Sierra Leone’s First Lady Fatima Bio at the UN spotlight.

Child Marriage Push: Sierra Leone-led UN General Assembly resolution has set November 27 as the International Day for the Elimination of Child, Early and Forced Marriage, with Fatima Maada Bio and partners driving the campaign and calling for stronger national action. Disaster Risk & Early Warnings: Sierra Leone’s NDMA urges inclusive, people-centred early warning systems across Africa so warnings reach women, children, older people and persons with disabilities through trusted channels. Public Health Systems: NPHA and GOAL are rolling out a plan to modernise epidemic response in Sierra Leone with digital contact tracing to speed up outbreak control. Land, Carbon & Rights: A new report flags land access and benefit-sharing concerns around Sierra Leone forestry carbon plantations in Tonkolili and Port Loko, questioning how “degraded lands” are classified and how communities understand carbon credit use. Anti-Bribery at Port: Freetown’s Chief Minister warns police at Queen Elizabeth II Quay against demanding bribes from truck drivers during cargo decongestion efforts. Women Traders Protection: MARWOPNET trains border stakeholders on reporting mechanisms to protect cross-border women traders from sexual exploitation and abuse.