By Foday Moriba Conteh
The Parliamentary Committee on Sports has summoned officials of the Ministry of Sports and the National Sports Authority (NSA) to provide a comprehensive update on the ongoing rehabilitation of the National Stadium, expressing concern over delays in the completion of the project.
The meeting, held on Tuesday, 23 June 2026, at the Administrative Building, Tower Hill in Freetown, was convened to assess the progress of the rehabilitation works being undertaken by Chinese contractors and to identify areas where Parliament could support efforts to expedite the project’s completion.
Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Sports, Hon. Racheal Pessima, welcomed the delegation and congratulated the Executive Director of the National Sports Authority, Mohamed Alphaka Conteh, Esq., on his recent appointment. She assured officials that the Committee’s objective was to obtain a detailed status report on the rehabilitation project and explore possible interventions to address existing challenges.
Hon. Racheal Pessima also commended the Ministry of Sports and the National Sports Authority for what she described as a renewed spirit of cooperation and collaboration.
“The Committee has observed through the media that the Ministry of Sports and the NSA are working closely together. I encourage you to sustain this partnership for the continued development of sports in Sierra Leone,” she said.
Director of Sports at the Ministry of Sports, Haroun Mustapha Korgie, thanked the Committee for its continued oversight and support, noting that Parliament has consistently created opportunities for constructive engagement between the Ministry and the National Sports Authority on matters affecting the country’s sports sector.
Presenting the technical update, Deputy Executive Director of the National Sports Authority, Dr. Abdulai Rahman Swaray, informed the Committee that although the rehabilitation project commenced in February 2022, it has exceeded its implementation timeline due to gaps in the project agreement.
He explained that the prolonged delay has deprived Sierra Leone of the opportunity to host international football matches, including fixtures in the ongoing FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
“We have been disadvantaged by the delay in the project. We missed out on hosting matches during the ongoing World Cup qualifiers because of the stadium rehabilitation. For the first time in our nation’s history, we accumulated up to 15 points in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers,” Dr. Abdulai Rahman Swaray stated.
Addressing the Committee, Executive Director of the National Sports Authority, Mohamed Alphaka Conteh, Esq., emphasized that completing the rehabilitation project now depends on strong political commitment backed by practical action.
“What we need at this moment to complete the National Stadium rehabilitation is decisive political action,” he said.
Mohamed Alphaka Conteh also used the opportunity to formally introduce himself to Members of Parliament and acknowledged past misunderstandings between the Ministry of Sports and the National Sports Authority. He assured the Committee that his administration is committed to restoring professionalism, discipline and unity within the sports sector.
“Under my leadership, decorum will be maintained within the sector. The mandate I have is to restore professionalism and unity,” he assured.
The Executive Director appealed to the Parliamentary Committee on Sports to support efforts aimed at completing the rehabilitation project. He proposed three key measures, including promoting private sector participation through public-private partnerships, facilitating the approval of a supplementary budget by Government and ensuring sustained political commitment to drive the project to completion.
Director of Corporate Operations at the National Sports Authority, Alie Sesay, also presented a detailed briefing on the current state of the rehabilitation works, outlining the progress achieved, outstanding challenges and the remaining tasks required before the National Stadium can be fully completed and reopened for international sporting events.
