By: Isatu Bai Kamara
The Government of Sierra Leone has taken its local governance and decentralisation reform agenda to the Southern Region, as Vice President Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh led a high-level consultation in Bo District on Saturday, August 15, 2026.
The engagement, held in Bo City, formed part of a nationwide consultation process aimed at bringing national-level discussions on decentralisation closer to local councils, traditional authorities, communities and other stakeholders.
The Bo consultation followed the launch of the regional engagement in Kenema, where the Vice President initiated discussions on the challenges and opportunities surrounding local governance and the delivery of public services at the community level.
The meeting brought together Paramount Chiefs, representatives of local councils, Ministers, government officials and other key stakeholders to examine the practical implications of ongoing governance reforms and identify solutions to challenges affecting effective local administration.
Addressing participants, Vice President Jalloh emphasised that the consultations were not intended to impose predetermined decisions but to provide an opportunity for government to learn directly from communities and local institutions.
«“This meeting does not dictate actions; it represents a learning process. We listen to local governance challenges,” Vice President Jalloh stated.»
He explained that taking the consultation process to the regions was deliberate, stressing that decentralisation would be more effective if national policies and reforms reflected the realities faced by local authorities and communities.
According to the Vice President, government is pursuing reforms across several sectors, including land governance and administration, health, social welfare and other areas that directly affect citizens at the local level.
He stressed the need for local councils and traditional institutions to have a clear understanding of these reforms and to play an active role in their implementation.
A major highlight of the Bo engagement was the inauguration of the Regional Coordination Committee for the Southern Region. The committee is expected to improve coordination among institutions involved in local governance and strengthen collaboration between national government structures, local councils and traditional authorities.
Vice President Jalloh also acknowledged the support of the World Bank towards Sierra Leone’s decentralisation programme, noting the institution’s willingness to provide additional assistance as the reform process progresses.
The Inter-Ministerial Committee on Local Governance and Decentralisation remains responsible for coordinating the broader consultation process, which is expected to continue across the country.
The Vice President further announced that the regional consultations would subsequently move to the district level. He said plans were underway for him to spend two days in each district engaging directly with stakeholders on specific challenges confronting local governance.
Among the issues expected to receive attention are relationships between chiefdom authorities and local councils, coordination of development activities, service delivery and the effective implementation of decentralisation policies.
The district-level engagements are expected to provide government with a clearer understanding of the challenges experienced by local institutions and communities while creating opportunities for stakeholders to propose practical and locally relevant solutions.
The Bo consultation therefore represents another step in the Government’s broader effort to strengthen cooperation between central and local institutions and ensure that decentralisation translates into improved governance and better public services.
The nationwide exercise is ultimately expected to deepen collaboration among government institutions, local councils, traditional leaders and communities, while advancing the Government’s commitment to bringing governance and development closer to the people.