Fritong Post Newspaper

07/09/2026

After more than two years in Nigeria, former president Ernest Bai Koroma has finally returned home following the withdrawal of treason charges against him.

Earlier today, President Julius Maada Bio met with Koroma at State House, as both leaders renew calls for peace and national cohesion.

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Ex-president Ernest Bai Koroma has returned home after more than two years in Nigeria, following the withdrawal of treason charges linked to the November 2023 attempted coup. His return was marked by a meeting with President Julius Maada Bio at State House, as both leaders renewed calls for peace, r...

07/09/2026

Foreign Affairs says it has opened an investigation into allegations surrounding the visa application of the former ECOWAS speaker, whose U.S. visa request was recently denied. The case reportedly involves a former executive assistant who was granted a U.S. visa in 2023 but failed to return to Sierra Leone.

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Foreign Affairs Ministry is investigating allegations of visa fraud following the U.S. Embassy’s denial of a visa to former ECOWAS speaker over concerns linked to a former executive assistant who travelled to the U.S. but failed to return.

07/09/2026

*India Achieves Global Milestone in Fight Against Child Marriage*

India’s campaign to end child marriage has gained major international recognition, with the United Nations designating November 27 as the International Day for the Elimination of Child, Early and Forced Marriage.

According to India Blooms News Service (iBNS), the global initiative was championed by Bhuwan Ribhu, founder of Just Rights for Children, and supported by Sierra Leone’s First Lady, Dr Fatima Maada Bio, who backed the call for a dedicated international day. Sierra Leone, supported by 67 countries including India, subsequently led the UN resolution that secured the designation.

The milestone highlights growing global efforts to protect children from early and forced marriage, and places renewed attention on the need for governments, communities and institutions to act decisively to end the practice by 2030.

Read full story here:

West Bengal steps up efforts to combat child marriage as the UN declares November 27 the International Day for the Elimination of Child, Early and Forced Marriage. | One of India's leading Digital News Agency offering Breaking News round the clock. Why not read our informative news portal today.

06/09/2026

Photo News

’s former president, Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma has made his permanent return home today following the discharge of his court case by the government, after successful diplomatic interventions led by ECOWAS and the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Ernest Koroma was accompanied by Nigeria’s foreign minister, and ex-president Goodluck Jonathan, amongst other dignitaries.

04/09/2026

04/09/2026

Today in Print..

03/09/2026

Government Announces $73.8m Development Financing Plus New Legislative Proposals

The government on Tuesday announced it has approved development-financing agreements worth approximately $73.8 million, targeting agriculture, food security, affordable housing, job creation and increased incomes for farmers, with women and young people identified as major beneficiaries.

Making the announcements on Tuesday, Information Minister Chernor Bah said the a $10 million concessional loan from the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa has been approved to enable Sierra Leone acquire additional shares in Shelter Afrique Development Bank, with the Ministry of Finance directed to present the agreement to parliament for ratification.

Another $23.8 million from the African Development Fund for Phase One of the Sierra Leone Rice Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone Project was also approved. This project will focus on climate-resilient rice production, local processing, competitiveness and food security, and support the establishment of agro-industrial hub and agricultural transformation centres, with particular attention to women and young people.

Minister Bah said the investment aligns with the government’s Feed Salone agenda and is expected to improve rice production and processing while creating employment opportunities.

Further, he announced a $40 million grant-financing agreement with the International Development Association for the Sustainable Agriculture Value Chain Intensification for Growth Project.

The project will promote climate-smart agriculture, improve value addition and market access, expand digital agricultural services and increase farmers’ access to finance.

It is also expected to attract private-sector investment into agriculture and directly benefit nearly 100,000 farmers, including 40,000 women and 30,000 young people, he said.

Beyond development financing, Minister Bah heralded that Cabinet has greenlighted a proposed legislation titled the National Social Security and Pensions Authority Act, signaling the replacement of the National Social Security and Insurance Trust Act of 2001.

He said the proposed reform seeks to align the pension framework with contemporary labour market changes, including the growing number of self-employed workers, microenterprises and people engaged in digital forms of employment.

The proposed law will also strengthen governance, transparency and service delivery while protecting contributors’ benefits and ensuring the long-term sustainability of the national pension scheme, he said.

In the mining sector, he said Cabinet has designated certain mineral assets to the Sierra Leone Mines and Minerals Development and Management Corporation for identification, development and management, as part of ongoing reforms to strengthen the state’s participation and investment in mineral exploration and development.

Finally, Minister Bah announced two other legislative proposals, the Land Adjudication Bill and Land Title Registration Regulations, which seeks to strengthen registration of land under both formal and customary tenure, and establish a unified National Land Register.

Minister Bah said the reforms would make it easier for people to verify land ownership before entering into transactions.

The lands minister has been directed to present the legislation to parliament, with government hoping the reforms will become law before the end of the year.

03/09/2026

BAN Engages ACC on Missing ADF Funds

Budget Advocacy Network (BAN) this week engaged the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on issues concerning the management and transfer of revenue generated from the 5% rice import duty, following findings that only a fraction of the money collected was transferred to the Agricultural Development Fund (ADF).

The development follows a study by BAN and the 50/50 Group which found that NLe365.2 million was generated from the rice import duty during the 2024 and 2025 fiscal years, but only NLe31.9 million, about 9%, reached the ADF.

That leaves approximately NLe333.3 million, or 91% of the revenue, unaccounted for in terms of transfer to the ADF.

BAN did not allege that the money had been stolen or misappropriated. Instead, it raised questions about transparency, traceability and whether the money ring-fenced to support the agricultural development was being managed in accordance with the policy commitment attached to the tax.

Speaking during the engagement, ACC Commissioner Francis Ben Kaifala expressed concern about the findings and acknowledged that the existing arrangement for managing the earmarked revenue appeared “not well organised.”

Kaifala said the commission was prepared to work with BAN to examine the matter and establish recommendations that could strengthen accountability.

He drew on the ACC's experience in recovering public assets and funds, explaining that the establishment of a dedicated recovery account had made it easier to track, audit and account for recovered resources.

He suggested that a similar mechanism could potentially be applied to earmarked public revenues.

If money is collected for a specific purpose, there should be a clear trail showing how much was collected, where it was transferred and how it was ultimately spent. That trail is precisely what BAN's report says is currently difficult to establish.

The 5% rice import duty was reintroduced in 2024 as part of the government's domestic revenue mobilisation strategy, with the proceeds intended to support agricultural development through the ADF.

The policy was particularly necessary because Feed Salone seeks to increase domestic agricultural production, strengthen food security and reduce dependence on imported food.

The ADF was therefore expected to provide an additional financing mechanism for agricultural programmes using locally generated revenue.

But BAN's findings highlight a significant gap between revenue collection and revenue transfer.
For them, the issue is not simply where the money sits. Rather, it is about who loses when agricultural resources do not reach their intended destination.

03/09/2026

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31/08/2026

From “flying carrots” to fashion websites, football platforms, coding tools, rainwater filters and self-watering flower vases, children aged 7-15 are showing what is possible when they are given the opportunity to explore technology.

After weeks of training in coding, web development, 3D modelling and printing, participants of the Orange Foundation’s Next Gen Summer Camp have been certified.

Their projects were not just about technology but creativity, problem-solving and imagining solutions for everyday life.

The future is learning, creating and innovating today.

Read the full story on Fritong Post via the link below 👇

From coding games and building websites to designing rainwater filters and self-watering flower vases, children from 7-15 years showcased their digital creativity and problem-solving skills at the Orange Foundation’s Next Gen Summer Camp in Freetown.