The Director General of the National Social Security and Insurance Trust (NASSIT), Mohamed Fuaad Daboh, has called for stronger institutional collaboration between NASSIT and the Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt in Sierra Leone to expand social security coverage to the country’s vast informal sector.
Mohamed Fuaad Daboh made the appeal during a meeting with the Egyptian Ambassador to Sierra Leone, Her Excellency Rasha Soliman Mohi Eldin Soliman, at the Egyptian Embassy in Freetown on Wednesday, 3 June 2026. The engagement comes as NASSIT intensifies efforts to introduce a legislative framework for an Informal Sector Policy aimed at bringing thousands of workers outside the formal economy into the national social security system.
Addressing the meeting, Mohamed Fuaad Daboh noted that nearly 90 percent of Sierra Leone’s active labour force operates within the informal sector, leaving many market traders, artisans, commercial drivers, farmers and other self-employed workers without retirement or invalidity benefits.
He described social security as a fundamental human right and stressed that the country’s long-term economic stability and social development would depend largely on extending social protection to workers who have traditionally been excluded from formal schemes.
The Director General disclosed that the proposed Informal Sector Policy has already received Cabinet approval and that the draft legislation is currently before the Law Officers’ Department for legal review before its submission to Parliament. He added that NASSIT has been engaging international partners to strengthen the implementation framework for the initiative.
Mohamed Fuaad Daboh said the institution believes that with the support of the Egyptian Embassy, Sierra Leone can adopt modern and effective social protection models that are tailored to local realities and capable of addressing the needs of the informal workforce.
Responding to the proposal, Her Excellency Rasha Soliman Mohi Eldin Soliman reaffirmed Egypt’s commitment to deepening bilateral cooperation with Sierra Leone. She said her country stands ready to support technical exchanges, capacity building and the development of comprehensive social protection systems that align with Sierra Leone’s national development priorities.
Her Excellency Rasha Soliman Mohi Eldin Soliman explained that Egypt’s development partnerships are driven by the specific needs of partner countries and assured NASSIT of the Embassy’s willingness to share its experience and expertise in support of Sierra Leone’s social security ambitions.
The Ambassador emphasized that practical knowledge sharing and professional collaboration are essential to achieving meaningful results. She added that Egypt is prepared to support vocational cooperation, capacity development for social security professionals and technical advisory services to help Sierra Leone establish a successful informal sector pension scheme that could serve as a model for the region.
The meeting also highlighted the growing partnership between Sierra Leone and Egypt in areas of social and economic development and the shared commitment of both countries to improving the welfare of their citizens through inclusive policies.
The Director General was accompanied by the Deputy Director General in charge of Operations, who also serves as Chairman of the Informal Sector Technical Committee, as well as Victor Immanuel Samai, Executive Assistant to the Director General and a member of the Informal Sector Secretariat.
The engagement is expected to strengthen cooperation between NASSIT and the Egyptian Government as Sierra Leone continues its efforts to expand social security protection and provide a sustainable safety net for workers in the informal economy.
