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Sierra Leone News: Making a Mark in a Challenging Market Through Innovation

Olusegun Obasun, Executive Director, Guaranty Trust Bank (SL) Limited

Sierra Leone is a nation on a journey of self-discovery, working hard to convert its vast riches into both economic wealth and social wellbeing for the benefit of the entire 7.7 million population. The country is blessed with an abundance of mineral resources, which include diamonds, chromite, rutile (among the largest reserves in the world), iron ore, titanium ore, bauxite, gold and platinum, as well as fishery resources and arable land—all of which have been poorly exploited. Sierra Leone remains among the world’s poorest countries, ranking 184th out of 189 countries in the Human Development Index (HDI) report for 2018.

The economy of Sierra Leone grew at an annual rate of 7.8 percent over the period 2003-2014 but was undone in 2015 when it contracted by 20.5 percent due to the collapse of the two major iron-mining companies, Africa Minerals Limited and London Mining, caused by the fall in international iron-ore prices and the outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus, creating a medical emergency that led to the failure of many businesses and caused unprecedented job loss. Sixty percent of youth today are either under- or unemployed.

In Sierra Leone, the population heavily depends on food importation to cater to its consumption needs. Low foreign-revenue receipts are used among other competing needs to finance the importation of food because of the low level of agricultural outputs. Recognising agriculture as the biggest employer of labour, there is increasing active promotion of and support for the growth of agriculture and micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs); agriculture accounts for about 60 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), and MSMEs employ 70 percent of the population. The Roadmap for National Agricultural Transformation (2018) targets four enablers for transforming the agricultural sector: improvement of the policy environment, promotion of women and youth in agriculture, establishment of private-sector-led mechanisation and sustainable management of biodiversity.

Financial inclusion

There is now a general acceptance that the financial sector has a central role to play in combating the current high levels of poverty and income inequality—a major component of which is the provision of financial access to the excluded 87 percent of the population, the bulk of whom are rural-based and dependent on subsistence agriculture for survival. The central bank expects the financial-inclusion system to fast-track growth and empower the poor with both capital and access—and thus reduce income inequality and poverty, and promote social cohesion and shared economic development. The central bank launched the National Strategy for Financial Inclusion in 2017, with the vision to make financial services available, accessible and affordable to all Sierra Leoneans and MSMEs, and support inclusive and resilient private-sector-led growth.

The contribution of the financial sector to the growth of the economy, however, continues to be hampered by major infrastructural gaps particularly in information and communication technology (ICT), power and energy, and institutional voids exemplified by the inefficiencies in capital and labour markets, weak property rightsand challenges encountered in the enforcement of rights through the court. These limitations increase the cost of business, escalate risks and reduce the chances of success of business, and they must therefore be removed by government to promote entrepreneurial growth. Even though the central bank has taken the initiative by rolling out the strategy to promote financial inclusion, not much progress has been made. One of the major reasons has been the inability of most of the population to meet the stringent identification requirements prescribed in the Anti-Money Laundering and Combating of Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Act 2012 of Sierra Leone, which limits acceptable identity documents to only international passports, National ID cards and drivers’ licenses.

This excludes sizeable parts of the population from the financial system, as most do not need these documents in their daily lives. As a means of ensuring low-risk customers are accommodated in the financial system, Guaranty Trust Bank (Sierra Leone) pointed out this inconsistency and submitted a position paper to the central bank calling for the introduction of risk-based, three-tiered, know-your-customer (KYC), flexible account-opening requirements for low-value and low-risk accounts that are subject to caps and restrictions as the number of transactions increases. The central bank has adopted GT Bank (SL)’s position paper and is on the verge of rolling out a four-tiered version of the proposal.

The entrance of Guaranty Trust Bank (Sierra Leone) Limited [GTBank (SL) Ltd], a subsidiary of Guaranty Trust Bank Nigeria, into Sierra Leone, starting in 2002, has served to radically transform the whole banking landscape and bring it in tune with fast-paced, customer-centric, technology-driven modern-day banking. The bouquet of innovative financial products and services specially designed and introduced to meet the divergent needs of the people has helped to expand the breadth of the economy, and the massive expansion of branch networks has helped some of the underserved and unbanked population to be reached. Also, improvement in efficiency has been triggered by the introduction of more advanced technology and increased competition among industry players.

The performance of GT Bank (SL) in the Sierra Leone market has transformed it into a household name in the corporate- and consumer-banking industry on account of its consistent delivery of efficient services, innovation and year-on-year growth. The bank has consistently been among the most profitable and best-run banks in the country over the past six years. This performance has been despite the challenging market conditions and fierce competition in the industry. By a large extent, GT Bank (SL) has achieved market dominance in both the upper corporate-banking and middle commercial-banking segments of the market and intends to achieve the same in the lower retail and SME segments, with a view to accomplishing financial-inclusion objectives, facilitating accretion of social capital and mobilizing cheap deposit liabilities.

The bank recently launched its five-year-strategy growth plan predicated on the expansion of the bank’s retail footprints across the country.  This strategic approach involves leveraging on partnerships with fintech companies to provide customers with innovative digital product solutions designed to meet diverse needs, delivered in a cost-effective manner.  Through these partnerships, the bank has been able to set the pace in digital banking innovations. It pioneered the rollout of several products, including SMS banking, a Leone-denominated MasterCard debit card and internet banking, and it gave a fillip to the adoption of ATM (automated teller machine) and POS (point of sale) channels by the general population.

Considering that Sierra Leone’s population is one of the poorest in the world with a significant number listed at the base of the pyramid—with internet penetration and access to utilities remaining very low—cost becomes a big consideration in growing the retail market both on the part of the customers as well as the bank. It was generally accepted that to be a market leader and a preferred bank of choice in the retail business, we needed to leverage on branchless-banking technology to deliver products and services all over Sierra Leone without the use of the internet.

This has led to our partnership with Mobinet Solutions Ltd to introduce GT-SIMPAY, the very first mobile-banking product built on SIM (subscriber identity module) overlay technology riding on encrypted SMS (short message service). The GT-SIMPAY technology is a path-breaking, disruptive innovation capable of facilitating the creation of an uncontested blue ocean market that will enable less educated and even the base-of-the-pyramid, unbanked population to consume services hitherto exclusive to more affluent consumers. GT-SIMPAY can be aptly defined as a frugal innovation, as its services are developed to fit the specific needs and requirements of retail markets and are delivered cheaply to give the financially vulnerable population opportunities for consumption. It is a transformational tool for redefining banking among the general populace and continues to captivate the imagination of many people. Today, our customers do not need to come to the bank to perform many banking transactions, and they can even buy electricity and pay bills from the comfort of their homes.

Through GT-SIMPAY, the bank is making a notable difference in providing customers with the service platform to self-bank, pay bills and purchase airtime. The next phase of the GT-SIMPAY revolution is transformational, through which the lives of the banking population and the currently unbanked population will be positively impacted. The GT-SIMPAY mobile-wallet feature enables customers to send money from their accounts to beneficiaries’ mobile-money accounts operated by Global System for Mobile (GSM) telecommunications companies. The beneficiaries can thereafter cash out from mobile-money agents. Mobile money has wider coverage than banks do in the country and is accessible in locations too remote for banks. This feature provides customers with the platform to send money to families in locations without a bank presence.

GT-SIMPAY is an innovation that can produce in Sierra Leone impact similar to that of M-PESA, a mobile payment solution that today has been embraced by half of the population of Kenya. With GT-SIMPAY, prospective customers will be able to open bank accounts instantly through their mobile phones and receive their account numbers immediately. The feature also permits bank agents to open accounts for customers, upload all of their details and relevant documents remotely, with the customer receiving the account number immediately. This is the ultimate financial-inclusion booster that eliminates paper and facilitates efficiency in service delivery.

GT Bank (SL)’s plan through GT-SIMPAY is to include persons who have been disenfranchised by diminished purchasing power from accessing the modern card-payment system. The card platform will enable our MasterCard debit card to be used for payments using the SMS-enabled POS and mPOS (mobile point-of-sale) terminals deployed at merchant locations. This will afford the low-income population the ability to enjoy the same banking service currently affordable only to the higher-income banking population.

Soon to be rolled out is the e-cheque. This is a feature that allows customers to send money to friends and family who do not maintain accounts with GT Bank (SL).  With the e-cheque code generated and sent via SMS to them, beneficiaries can through an ATM either deposit e-cheques into their accounts or cash them out. It won’t be long before tomato and onion sellers at the popular Abacha Street market in Freetown will be able to accept non-cash payment through our Scan-to-Pay QR (quick response) feature. This is the ultimate cashless-banking facilitator.

It is worthwhile mentioning that GT-SIMPAY recently received recognition from the Asian Banker Excellence in Retail Financial Services, through which it was awarded the “Best Mobile Initiative, Application or Programme in West Africa for 2019”, firmly placing Sierra Leone on the regional digital-banking product map.

To reinforce its commitment to the delivery of banking products and services tailored to meet the diverse needs of its growing customer base, promote financial-inclusion objectives and minimise customer-service pain points, the bank plans to roll out by the middle of the year another digital mobile product called *3737#, which has been very successful in Nigeria since its launch in 2016. *3737# is built on USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data) GSM communication technology that is used to send texts between a mobile phone and an application program in the network. With *3737#, customers will be able to perform banking transactions such as transfers to all banks in Sierra Leone, check account balances, open a GT Bank (SL) account, buy airtime, pay bills and lots more from their mobile phones.

 

Makeni, Sierra Leone, Africa – June 06, 2013: Makeni, Bombali District North of Sierra Leone, lifestyle in the main square during the market
Freetown, Sierra Leone – June 8, 2013: the beaches of the Aberdeen district

We at GT Bank (SL) are i bringing the nation into a new world of banking.

Sierra Leone News: FCC, Swiss Dele on Cooperation Drive

The Freetown City Council is hosting a delegation from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and their partners, Geneva Water Hub & UN Capital Development Fund.

The delegation’s visit aims to continue and concretize the discussions with Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr and Freetown City Council, around city twinning and blended finance partnerships, particularly for trans-boundary capital fundraising for support to the sustained delivery of services in the city of Freetown.

Mayor Aki-Sawyerr is exploring with development partners, the possibility of twinning partnerships with other municipalities from developed countries to assure better access to capital markets in order to finance the implementation of the Council’s Transform Freetown Agenda.

In the delegation’s preliminary meeting with the Mayor, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation has already pinpointed several areas where Mayor Aki-Sawyerr’s Transform Freetown aligns with their financing scope, including job creation for youth to prevent migration, revenue mobilization and, most importantly, water. Together, Freetown City Council and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation will explore the possibility of a potential partnership to solve the growing water crisis, through the Agency’s Blue Peace Initiative.

This is an initial fact finding and scoping mission, which is headed by Johan Gély, Director Global Programme Water, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. Other members of the delegation include Isabella Pagotto, Senior Advisor, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation; Fabrice Fretz, Senior Regional Advisor West Africa (based in Dakar), Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation; Rukan Manaz, Senior Advisor, Geneva Water Hub; Sibylle Chevalier-Gianadda, Senior Advisor, Geneva Water Hub; Jaffer Machano, Manager, United Nations Capital Development Fund.

Sierra Leone News: NGC Party Laments Events of Friday 31 May

The National Grand Coalition Party (NGC) in a press release has lamented the events that took place on Friday 31 May 2019, which the NGC sees as symptomatic of a broken political system in urgent need of repair.

In the press release the NGC said: First, we condemn the judicial delays that have resulted in 10 rulings on elections petitions pertaining to the March 2018 vote for members of parliament. Why have we had to wait 14 months for these rulings? And why are some matters still outstanding? We remind the judiciary that justice delayed is justice denied. Such delayed justice has ethical and practical considerations, especially in the context of our lawmakers in Parliament, which is why it is always preferable to resolve these matters quickly.

According to the press release, the NGC further stated that: Second, we condemn the selective justice apparently at play in Sierra Leone today. Why is it that petitions predominantly of concern to members of the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) have been resolved while matters of concern to other political parties, in this case the All People’s Congress (APC), have not even been listed for hearing? Why is it that petition cases brought by members of the NGC, and similar to those upheld on Friday 31 May, were dismissed by the judge without lawyers acting for NGC being allowed to present their cases. We recall with horror the violence visited upon our supporters in Tonko Limba, Kambia, Mile 91 and parts of the Western Area, to give just a few examples. Not only must justice be done, it must be seen to be done. We recall that rampant injustice was one of the main factors identified by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) as a cause of the civil war this country was subjected to not so long ago.

The release added: Third, we condemn the excessive use of force by the Sierra Leone Police, including firing teargas canisters directly into the APC headquarters in Brookfields, as reported by Umaru Fofana on the BBC Focus on Africa and relayed live by AYV Television. State security forces have a duty to maintain internal security and law and order but they must do so humanely, respecting the human rights of the public at large. In 2018 Amnesty International produced a report documenting 10 years of use of excessive force by police to disperse spontaneous protests, with at least nine protesters killed and over 80 injured. Friday’s display of force was a frightening continuation of this practice, which in fact dates back to the pre-independence era under colonial rule.

The release went further to state that the SLP force directed at APC HQ was reminiscent of similar excessive police force used to quell SLPP supporters at their party HQ in 2007, 2008, and 2009. We again condemn this apparent tit for tat, “do me, ar do you” pattern of reprisals. An eye for an eye will leave us all blind. Now is the time to strengthen our state institutions and separate them from partisan political interests and break this vicious cycle of repression and violence.

The NGC release added: Fourth, we repeat our call for the resignation or removal of the Chief Electoral Commissioner, N’fa Alie Conteh, or the conduct of a Judicial enquiry into the Tonko Limba bye elections. Had NEC done its job properly during the elections in 2018 and vetted contestants properly and assessed the levels of violence in the run-up to and during polling, these petitioners would not have had recourse to use the courts. Instead, over a year after elections, decisions by two judges have altered the fundamental makeup of Parliament and precipitated a full-blown crisis. We must remember that Sierra Leone remains a fragile state: we cannot afford to take our peace and national cohesion for granted.

 

 

Sierra Leone News: Religious Leaders Concerned Over Political Tensions

The Inter-Religious Council of Sierra Leone (IRCSL) in a press release has stated that it is very concerned about the current political tensions in the country after the Bintumani III conference.  According to the release, ‘This political tension continues to escalate with the tendency to create social unrest and undermines the peace and stability in the country.’

It added that the IRCSL condemns any action by political parties and individuals to incite and create chaos thereby undermining our hard won peace and stability through violence, hate speech and other malicious actions promoting disunity and division among Sierra Leoneans.

The release added that the IRCSL is therefore calling on all political parties and their supporters to respect the rule of law and desist from any form of violence, hate speech and malicious actions that has the potential to throw the country into chaos and instability.

‘We call on the government to take responsibility to peacefully resolve or address the ongoing political tensions and conflict in the country to enhance peaceful co-existence irrespective of tribe, region or political party.

‘We call on the security forces especially the Police to carry out their mandate of protecting lives and property with professionalism and respect for the rights of all citizens,’ the press release stated.

It went on to say that the IRCSL as “Moral Guarantor” of the peace of the country is putting modalities in place  to work with other stakeholders  to initiate a peaceful dialogue between the two giant parties – the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Parry (SLPP) and the All People’s Congress (APC) within the shortest possible time.

The release called on all Sierra Leoneans to remain calm, maintain the peace and respect the rule of law.  It added: ‘Remember that we only have one Sierra Leone and we all are Sierra Leoneans.’

It further called on all Churches and Mosques to continue praying for peace and stability in our country and to preach peace during our sermons to shape the moral life of our congregants and jamats for a peaceful Sierra Leone.

 

Sierra Leone News: Maltina Donate Food Items to over 3000 Muslims

Brand Manager Aminata Kasim Carew

As the holy month of Ramadan ended on 4th May 2019, Sierra Leone’s foremost brewer of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, Sierra Leone Brewery Ltd. (SLBL), and one of Sierra Leone’s finest Hip Hop artist Algasimu Jah Junior aka Shadow Boxer joined Muslim worshipers at the National Stadium in Freetown to celebrate Eid Mabarak (Pray Day) by donating food and other items to over three thousand Muslims.

Speaking during the event Maltina Brand Manager Aminata Kasim Carew said the event is an Annual Maltina Zakaat that had been going on for the past three years nationwide, adding that every Ramadan they target at least 60 mosques across the country.

She informed her audience that Maltina serves all classes of people and is also good for pregnant women because it is full of calcium and potassium which is why Maltina it labeled as ‘Nourishment for life’,

“We want to change the negative perception of Muslims about the Brewery and we want them to know that the company has lots of good products which include the Maltina brand and we are really happy to celebrate with all Muslims on this special occasion,” she said.

She stated that the Maltina brand has been in Sierra Leone for over 25 years now and assured her audience that Maltina is here to stay. She noted that every year they increase the number of beneficiaries because the company believes in giving back to society. She added that the Maltina brand over the years has been sponsoring different developmental programs on education, heath, sports, entertainment and much more.

Algasimu Jah aka Shadow Boxer on his part said he felt happy to partner with the Brewery’s Maltina Brand, and especially for its undertaking such a charity event for Muslims. “What they are doing today is to show love to Sierra Leone Muslims by giving charity to over 3000 people. This is superb! And I am hoping to work with them on my upcoming entertainment project called Lucky 7,” Shadow Boxer informed his audience.

He used the opportunity to encourage all Muslims to embrace peace and Islam as it is a religion of peace and blessing.

Sierra Leone News: 21% of Prostitutes in Freetown are Children -News Report Says

A latest survey done in Freetown has shown that 21% of prostitutes in the capital Freetown are children. The research which was done by Pink Power Organization and Brighter Horizon Project also revealed that most of these children had their first sexual experience through rape.

The research shows that these children who constitute this category fall within the age bracket of 11 and 15.

“These children had their first sexual experience through rape. They were raped by family members mostly by uncles and other relatives,” the summary of the report reads.

In Sierra Leone, girls under the age of 18 cannot legally consent to having sex.

These statistics are a shocking revelation of the condition of girls in the country. The organizations which conducted the research say they interviewed up to 400 prostitutes in the city to come to these conclusions.

Recently there has been a public outcry on the spate of rape cases against women and girls in the country. This led to the declaration of a state of emergency on rape by President Julius Maada Bio.

In Sierra Leone there is a high social stigma attached to rape and prostitution, as a result many of the girls and women involved have been left affected by sexually transmitted diseases or pregnancy.

A volunteer with Pink Power, Khadija Bangura, said a lot of the reasons why these children go in to prostitution are poverty related.

“Many children are involved in this as a result of poverty. Most of them are orphans. They are responsible for themselves. The only way to achieve this is to have sex,” she said during the launching of the report.

She added: “The country cannot cater for vulnerable children like these, except NGOs take the responsibility.”

Marie Shyllon, a worker with Brighter Horizon Project, said both organizations do not just stop at gathering data, that they have also been working with these girls to give them viable alternative livelihoods.

“We have helped teenage girls to escape prostitution; we have helped more than forty girls. We take children who are involved in this (prostitution) from the street, provide them with houses to live, education, training, food and pocket money, “she said.

 

Sierra Leone News: SL Government Signs Deal with Mercy Ship

During an audience with His Excellency Julius Maada Bio, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone this week, the government and charity Mercy Ships signed both an Accord De Siege and a Protocol Agreement which begins a fresh working partnership based on a country engagement plan for 2019-2023.

The country engagement plan, which begins with a protocol signing, initiates a period of assessment, then a 10-month surgical ship deployment which will include provision of free surgical and dental care in partnership with local institutions for training of health care workers, followed by additional support after the ship’s departure and, lastly, impact evaluation.

“On behalf of the Government and people of Sierra Leone I wish to express profound gratitude to Mercy Ships for their continuous humanitarian and medical supports towards providing treatment to people with various medical conditions,” stated Dr. Anthony Sandy Deputy Minister of Health and Sanitation.

These agreements pave the way for necessary collaboration in-country to begin assessment and design of programs as well as arrangements for port, security, water and sanitation necessary for a future port visit. In addition to providing surgical services, the hospital ship will serve as a platform for training West African health care professionals. The programs ensure that the positive impact of Mercy Ships will continue long after the ship leaves Sierra Leone.

Mercy Ships CEO Donovan Palmer highlighted the partnership aspect with the government of Sierra Leone.  He stated, “We are excited to confirm that we are in the early stages of planning a future return to Sierra Leone, which will be our sixth field service (1) working in this nation and our first since the Ebola crisis. Now that agreements are signed, we begin the important process of assessing the needs that exist and how we can best assist to deliver hope and healing to those in tremendous need of care.”

Specifically, these agreements will allow Sierra Leoneans to benefit from the specialised surgical services of the hospital ship and training of West African medical professionals to build capacity. With its crew of surgeons,  nurses and other professionals from around the world who volunteer their services on the hospital ship, Mercy Ships will make investments in local health care facilities and  provide continuing education for local professionals, mentoring in such fields as maxillofacial surgery techniques, orthopaedic trauma, nursing, paediatric anaesthesia and infection control. The partnership will focus on improving quality of care and communication.

Sierra Leone is a rapidly growing country with an estimated population of 7.88 million, up from 5.5 million in 2008.(2) Sierra Leone is positioned at 84 out of 189 countries and territories in the Human Development Index, which Mercy Ships uses to assess areas of need for service. Sierra Leone’s life expectancy at birth increased by 14.9 years although the nation’s GNI per capita decreased by about 18.2 percent during the same time.(3)

Improvements have been made in health care, despite the direct and indirect disruption to services during the two-year Ebola epidemic that began in 2014. The crisis resulted in more than 30,000 reported cases and 11,000 deaths throughout Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea, where Mercy Ships is currently wrapping up a field service.

All Mercy Ships services are provided free of charge, thanks to donors around the world in their support of the volunteer professionals on board the Africa Mercy and the nations they serve.  The Africa Mercy is currently scheduled to arrive in Dakar, Senegal for 10 months from mid-August this year.

 

Sierra Leone News: RSLAF Dismisses 4 Pregnant Recruits

The Republic of Sierra Leone Army (RSLAF) says it has dismissed four female recruits after they were found to have gotten pregnant just a week into training. The dismissed recruits were part of a special team of all-female intake. The 300 women were recruited as RSLAF’s response to demands from international peacekeeping missions for countries to ensure that at least 15 per cent of their contingents taking part in peace keeping operations are women.

Major Yaya Brima, Spokesman for the RSLAF, said the four were dismissed on 16 April, after failing final medical test in respect of pregnancy.
“As usual, particularly for female trainees, this final test was conducted in the first week of the training,” he said, adding that those slammed with the marching orders included one cadet and three recruits.

Major Brima said the move is part of RSLAF efforts to fulfil the government’s drive to ensure all government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) meet the 30 per cent quota for inclusion of women as recommended by the United Nations. The special team of recruits is expected to graduate this June.

 

 

Sierra Leone News: Diaspora Medicos Offer Free Medical Services

Some 1,300 people have benefited from free surgeries, medical examinations, dental extractions and other medical services delivered by Sierra Leonean healthcare professionals living in the Diaspora during a two-week medical mission in Moyamba District, southern Sierra Leone.

It could be recalled that in 2017, IOM launched the project: “Strengthening Sierra Leonean National Health Care Capacity through Diaspora Engagement” under its Migration and Development for Africa (MIDA) programme.

Through the project, a partnership was created with the Afro-European Medical and Research Network (AEMRN), a network of Diaspora Sierra Leonean healthcare professionals, to provide free healthcare services in rural communities.

Access to effective health care services is a major problem in many rural districts across Sierra Leone, where villagers often must travel long distances to access life-saving medical services. This situation is in large part due to the shortfall in health workers in the country.

According to the Sierra Leone Ministry of Health, in 2017, less than 350 Sierra Leonean doctors were registered with the Medical and Dental Council of Sierra Leone.

Although the project ended in March 2019, the members of the AEMRN expressed their willingness to continue to voluntarily share their skills and expertise beyond the project timeframe. To this effect, a Mobile Health Clinics (MHC) campaign was rolled out between 4 and 17 May 2019 in partnership with the Sierra Leonean Ministry of Health and nine health professionals from the AEMRN.

“We are happy to come back to serve our peers, especially those in remote areas. We want to achieve the Universal Health Coverage, thereby leaving no one behind. Therefore, we will continue to organize such medical missions to reach out to more people especially those in rural areas who cannot afford to pay for health care services,” said Dr Charles Senessie, a medical professional based in Switzerland and founder of AEMRN who participated in the campaign.

“We welcome the efforts of these skilled Sierra Leoneans who are willing to lend their skills to better the lives of their peers. This is also a way to give back and transfer knowledge and skills to local health care staff,” said Alhaji Sanusi Tejan Savage, Head of the IOM Office in Sierra Leone.

During the mission, doctors from local health clinics, including house officers, worked closely with the diaspora medics. Gregory Bajaalah, Medical Superintendent of Moyamba District, was one those who participated effectively. For him, “the mission was necessary for the district, as local medical staff had the opportunity to learn from experienced medical experts.”

The medical mission was conducted with support from IOM, the Sierra Leone Ministry of Health and Sanitation, Serve United, Afro-European Medical and Research Network, the Embassy and Permanent Mission of Sierra Leone to the United Nations in Geneva and the Sierra Leone Dental and Medical Association.

Sierra Leone News: NP-SL Playing Giant Role in Reducing Poverty

Without any iota of doubt Sierra Leone’s premier petroleum company, National Petroleum Company (NP-SL) is generally described as the major petroleum company that is greatly contributing towards reducing poverty by putting money into both the coffers of the Government and its numerous employees, thus making it possible for thousands of dependents to also benefit by way of socio-economic benefit and personal and family welfare through NP employees.

At the same time, the National Petroleum Company of Sierra Leone is being extolled for being very particular and consistent in providing very high quality grades of petrol, diesel and kerosene.

This is one major reason why the National Petroleum (NP) Sierra Leone Limited is always held in very high esteem.

It is noted that in order to keep abreast with latest international technological trends, the National Petroleum Sierra Leone (NP-SL) recently introduced for its customers the opportunity to use Smart Cards to purchase petroleum and other goods; meaning that buyers could top-up their cards to the tune of any amount which they can then use intermittently to procure petroleum products. This has made it convenient for easy transactions to be made and many customers are very comfortable with this arrangement.

NP-SL has been highly commended for remarkable service delivery to its numerous customers both within and out of the country.

In addition, NP’s unique state-of-the-art filling stations that are providing timely services; the company has been rated as one of the most successful indigenous business entities that  always ensures it lives up to expectation. .

Management of NP places premium on offering the best geared towards giving value for money.

Most importantly, NP considers its customers of different categories to be paramount treating them with all the attention they deserve.

 Indeed, this assertion has been unchallenged against the backdrop that the company has never faltered in its obligation.

It is a fact that human existence can be difficult in the absence of fuel which is why the relevance of NP cannot in any way be underrated.

One outstanding thing that the company is noted for its immense contribution in offering jobs to different class of people proving that it is not just the prerogative of Government to do such as the private sector too could play a vital role in that direction.

NP is widely known for facilitating safer and cleaner means of cooking. NP Gas Cooker are now household commodities which are affordable and readily available in all their outlets nationwide.

When we talk of an indigenous company that has put smiles on the faces of Sierra Leoneans and is making the people of this country very proud, the National Petroleum Company stands taller than the rest! For a company to move beyond the shores of this country and establish branches in Liberia, Guinea, Ivory Coast and The Gambia which are vibrantly operating is no mean feat. Indeed, NP has added another feather to its cap and is being copiously praised for such an accomplishment.

The company’s result-oriented managerial team will definitely and sustainably continue to put NP at the top.

NP-SL Ltd. is doing exceptionally well in all the countries it is operating and indeed there are prospects for further expansion.

It can therefore be justifiably stated that the National Petroleum Sierra Leone Limited is the country’s reliable fuel provider as it always ensures that its stockpile is always at an appreciable level.

Against this background NP is believed to be one of the strong back bones of Sierra Leone’s economy.

The Management of NP is well determined to continue to contribute to development and despite the challenges it is currently grappling with it is steadily make commendable strides that will benefit the majority.

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