Since assuming office as Director General of the Sierra Leone Ports and Harbour Authority (SLPHA), Yankuba Askia Bio has continued to distinguish himself through strategic leadership, institutional reforms and strong financial performance that have repositioned the Authority as one of Sierra Leone’s leading state institutions.
His success at the helm of the Authority is widely attributed to his extensive professional background as a logistics and maritime specialist, coupled with his five-year tenure as Deputy General Manager of the then Sierra Leone Ports Authority before his appointment by President Julius Maada Bio.
Under his stewardship, the SLPHA has recorded remarkable progress in structural reforms, operational efficiency and infrastructure modernization. The Authority has increasingly become a high-performing Government agency, driven by improved revenue generation and prudent financial management.
A major highlight of his administration is the consistent transfer of substantial equity dividends to the Government of Sierra Leone. Over a three-year period beginning in 2023, the Authority remitted a total of US$19 million, comprising US$4 million in 2023, US$7 million in 2024 and US$8 million in 2025, underscoring the institution’s growing financial strength and contribution to national development.
In the area of maritime security and operational efficiency, the Authority has achieved 89 percent International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) compliance, while vessel turnaround time has been reduced to less than 48 hours, a major boost for trade facilitation and port competitiveness.
DG Yankuba Askia Bio has also led the modernization of critical port equipment, the upgrading of logistics systems and the successful rehabilitation of the Freetown Port exit road, significantly easing traffic congestion and improving cargo movement around the port corridor.
Staff welfare has equally remained a central pillar of his leadership. His administration has delivered 100 percent medical coverage for staff, settled longstanding staff benefits amounting to over Le25 billion and facilitated overseas training opportunities aimed at strengthening workforce capacity and professional development within the Authority.
Observers note that his sound financial controls and deliberate efforts to reduce revenue leakages have contributed immensely to the sharp rise in internally generated revenue, further cementing the SLPHA’s role as a strategic pillar of Sierra Leone’s economic growth agenda.
The Authority’s performance has also earned it repeated national recognition. For the past three years, SLPHA has emerged as the top-performing agency under the Ministry of Transport and Aviation’s rating of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). That recognition reflects sustained excellence in efficiency, productivity and revenue contribution.
In the 2024 MDA assessment, the Authority secured a Grade B with a 63 percent score, before improving significantly to a Grade A with 70.1 percent in the 2025 rating, a testament to the transformative reforms championed by DG Yankuba Askia Bio.
The steady gains recorded under his leadership continue to reinforce confidence in the Authority’s ability to serve as a critical driver of trade, logistics and economic transformation in Sierra Leone.
