By Amin Kef (Ranger)
President Dr. Julius Maada Bio has officially opened the Salone Civic Festival 2025 with a historic proclamation declaring January 18 as National Remembrance Day on Thursday, December 11, 2025 in Miatta Civic Centre, Freetown, fulfilling a key recommendation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) more than two decades after the end of Sierra Leone’s civil war. The announcement marked the highlight of an event designed to deepen national consciousness, strengthen democratic engagement and advance civic participation across the country.
The declaration aligns with Paragraph 202 of the TRC Report, which called for a national day dedicated to honouring the victims and survivors of the conflict and promoting reconciliation. President Bio told the audience that the designation of January 18, the day the war formally ended in 2002, was both a moral obligation and a historic responsibility.
“In fulfilment of the TRC’s recommendation, I hereby proclaim that the 18th day of January shall be commemorated as National Remembrance Day throughout the Republic of Sierra Leone,” he announced. The President added that the day would focus on civic education, community service, peacebuilding activities and remembrance ceremonies to reflect on the country’s journey from conflict to stability. The Ministry of Information and Civic Education (MICE), NaCCED and the Independent Commission for Peace and National Cohesion (ICPNC) will coordinate annual observances.
The ceremony was hosted at the newly designated Miatta Civic Centre, formerly the Miatta Conference Centre, which has been transformed into a national hub for civic engagement, creativity and digital innovation. President Bio said the venue was deliberately repurposed to give Sierra Leoneans a home for dialogue, artistic expression and public accountability.
“From this day forward, this building will be the home of a new civic culture in Sierra Leone,” he declared. “It will be a place where citizens speak truth to power, where artists create the future, where innovators experiment and where your Government connects directly with the people.”
He emphasized that the civic festival, now in its second edition, provides a platform for citizens to interact with policymakers, witness governance processes firsthand and voice concerns on national issues. For three days, Government institutions, creative industries, professionals, community leaders and young innovators will share the same civic space to inspire constructive national conversations.
President Bio used the occasion to highlight major reforms undertaken by his administration to rebuild civic values and expand access to public information. These include weekly Government press briefings, nationwide civic town hall meetings and open policy dialogues on critical governance issues.
He further announced the revival of two national information institutions:
- The Sierra Leone Daily Mail, which returns as a modern digital public-interest press house dedicated to authoritative reporting, civic education and historical storytelling;
- The Sierra Leone News Agency (SLENA), being reborn as a multimedia national wire service with correspondents in all districts to combat misinformation and ensure verified, timely and inclusive news distribution.
“In an age of fake news, these institutions will rebuild the backbone of Sierra Leone’s public information architecture,” the President noted.
Reflecting Sierra Leone’s push toward technology-driven governance, President Bio unveiled the GOV.SL digital platform, built by the Directorate of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI). He said the platform will serve as the primary gateway for all Government announcements, policies, and institutional contacts.
He also showcased the Medium-Term National Development Plan Dashboard, a tool that allows citizens to track progress on national development goals in real time. “For the first time, any citizen can track development sector by sector, district by district, target by target. This is accountability through technology,” he stated.
Three major national policy frameworks were also launched at the festival:
- The Government Information Policy
- The Records and Archives Policy
- The National Film and Video Policy
According to the President, those policies will modernize communication standards, preserve national heritage and support Sierra Leone’s fast-growing creative industries.
Minister of Information and Civic Education, Chernor Bah, said the country is entering a new era of civic consciousness. He noted that within two years, the Government has significantly expanded public engagement, improved press briefings and revived civic education nationwide. He praised the President for restoring civic learning as a central pillar of national development.
UN Resident Coordinator, Fredrick Ampiah, commended the Government’s investment in civic and digital literacy, describing civic education as the backbone of nation-building. He said the second edition of the Salone Civic Festival is significantly larger in scale and influence than its inaugural edition, signaling growing public interest. The UNDP, he reaffirmed, will continue to support Sierra Leone’s civic transformation.
Guest speaker, Dr. Mavuso Walter Msimang, an 84-year-old South African liberation activist, reflected on his experiences in public accountability and drew parallels between Sierra Leone’s governance reforms and South Africa’s post-apartheid journey. He encouraged young people to embrace civic responsibility, describing them as custodians of the country’s future.
Sierra Leone’s Entertainment Ambassador, Kao Denero, underscored the festival’s importance in strengthening national values. He praised President Bio for establishing the Office of the Entertainment Ambassador, which has enabled the creative sector to align its activities with the Government’s Big Five Agenda. He stressed that entertainment must be used responsibly as a tool for national development.
The ceremony ended with President Bio touring booths and exhibitions mounted by Government Ministries, private enterprises, development partners and civil society organizations. Exhibitors showcased innovations, public service initiatives and civic education programs designed to motivate citizen participation and inspire national pride.
Declaring the festival officially open, President Bio encouraged all Sierra Leoneans to take advantage of the opportunity to engage with policymakers and support artists and innovators. “Democracy thrives not when we fight, but when citizens engage,” he said.
The 2025 Salone Civic Festival continues for three days at the Miatta Civic Centre.
