AGP Executive Report

Digital Child Safety: Sierra Leone and UNICEF launched a three-day workshop to bake child-rights safeguards into the country’s digital systems, focusing on privacy, cybersecurity, responsible data use, transparency and accountability as the nation pushes digital sovereignty. Public Surveillance Debate: Lawmakers are reviewing license plate camera use amid rising privacy concerns, as communities worry about mass monitoring and misuse. Pension Tech Upgrade: Sierra Leone’s NASSIT says it will roll out a new mobile app for pension and social security services, including mobile money, USSD for low-connectivity users, and digital identity checks. Climate Tech in Freetown: Freetown City Council is scaling biodigesters that turn organic waste into biogas for cooking and power, improving sanitation and cutting fuel costs. Ebola Drug Trial Update: NanoViricides reports its Phase II trial of NV-387 oral gummies for Ebola in DR Congo has been registered in the Pan African Clinical Trials Registry. Education & AI Guidance: Google warns students not to use AI as a learning shortcut, urging it to support critical thinking while noting many teachers still need training. Land Governance: Freetown Area Rep. Fonseca addressed the Belama Phase 5 land ownership dispute, tracing the mess to overlapping titles from past administrations.

AI in Education: Google is urging students not to use AI as a shortcut to learning, saying teachers should stay at the centre while AI helps with planning and classroom support. Ebola Research & Trials: A Phase II trial of NV-387 oral gummies for Ebola in DR Congo has been registered in the Pan African Clinical Trials Registry, as the outbreak expands. Public Health & Outbreak Response: Africa CDC highlights how managing rumours is key to stopping disease outbreaks, amid examples of deadly misinformation. Digital Government & Data Security: Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Communication says it’s tackling data fragmentation and cybersecurity, building a data governance framework and redundancy plans. Climate Tech for Freetown: Freetown is scaling biodigesters to turn waste into biogas for cooking, sanitation, and power for market cold rooms. Social Protection Tech: NASSIT plans a new mobile app for pension and social security services, including mobile money, USSD access, and digital identity checks. STEM & Higher Education: Eastern Technical University begins construction of a new postgraduate complex and an ICT training and innovation hub. Health Workforce Support: The U.S. Embassy in Freetown opens Peace Corps applications for health and education volunteers. Land & Carbon Rights: A new report raises concerns about land access and benefit-sharing in Sierra Leone’s forestry carbon project.

Digital Government & Data Security: Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Communication, Technology and Innovation met UN partners to tackle data fragmentation, build cybersecurity capacity, and develop a Government Data Centre plus a Data Governance Framework. Public Health Tech: NPHA and GOAL launched a roadmap to modernise Sierra Leone’s epidemic response with digital contact tracing, including plans to adapt the COMMTACT toolkit. Climate Tech for Freetown: Freetown City Council is scaling biodigesters that turn organic waste into biogas for cooking, generators, and market cold-room power—boosting sanitation and cutting fuel costs. Social Protection via Mobile: NASSIT says it will launch a new mobile app for pension and social security services, with mobile money, USSD access, notifications, and biometric identity checks. STEM & Research Infrastructure: Eastern Technical University has started building a new postgraduate complex and plans an ICT training facility and innovation hub. Education Integrity: Sierra Leone’s education reform focus echoes regional moves to keep student placement systems strict—Ghana’s minister ordered SHS heads not to admit outside CSSPS. Health & Safety Against Misinformation: Africa CDC warns that rumours can drive deadly disease-outbreak behaviour, urging better public communication and trust.

Digital Pensions: Sierra Leone’s NASSIT says it will launch a new mobile app for pensioners and contributors, aiming to cut queues and travel while adding features like mobile money payments, USSD access, record updates, and biometrics-based identity checks. Climate Tech for Freetown: Freetown is scaling sanitation and energy tech with biodigesters that turn market and household organic waste into biogas for generators and cold rooms, reducing fuel costs and improving trader productivity. Public Health Digitisation: NPHA and GOAL are rolling out a digital overhaul of Sierra Leone’s epidemic response, including digital contact tracing tools and a roadmap for safer, faster outbreak management. Disaster Early Warnings: NDMA’s Erica Konneh pushes for early warning systems that are inclusive, people-centred, and accessible—especially for women, people with disabilities, and remote communities. Education Tech Governance: Sierra Leone’s education reform theme echoes across the region as ministries crack down on bypassing placement systems, highlighting the push for integrity in school admissions. Research & Health: A new Sierra Leone study reports extensive SARS-CoV-2 spread in eastern Sierra Leone despite few reported cases, pointing to possible pre-existing immunity effects. Higher Education Expansion: Eastern Technical University begins construction of a new postgraduate complex and plans an ICT training and innovation hub to boost research and digital skills. Land & Carbon Rights: A rights-focused report flags concerns about land access and benefit-sharing in Sierra Leone’s forestry carbon project, questioning how “degraded lands” are defined and how communities are informed.

Peace Corps Recruitment: The U.S. Embassy in Freetown has opened Peace Corps applications for Americans to volunteer in Sierra Leone, including roles in maternal and child health, education (English or mathematics and science), and short-term “Response” assignments. Digital Governance: Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Communication says it is strengthening its partnership with the UN on digital transformation, focusing on data governance, cybersecurity, and reducing data fragmentation across government, including plans for a redundancy site and a Government Data Centre. Public Health Tech: NPHA and GOAL launched a digital overhaul of Sierra Leone’s epidemic response, moving contact tracing from manual work to an integrated digital model using tools like COMMTACT, with a roadmap for system upgrades and data protection. Education Infrastructure: Eastern Technical University has started construction of a new postgraduate complex at its Panderu Town campus, plus plans for an ICT training facility and innovation hub to boost research and digital skills. Disaster Readiness: NDMA’s Erica Konneh urged more inclusive, people-centred early warning systems across Africa, stressing that warnings must reach women, persons with disabilities, and remote communities in trusted, understandable ways. Land & Carbon Rights: A new report flags concerns over a forestry carbon project in Tonkolili and Port Loko, saying some communities were not fully aware of carbon credit activities on their customary lands and that consultation and benefit-sharing may be inadequate.

Digital Transformation & Data Governance: Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Communication, Technology and Innovation met UN partners to tackle data fragmentation, strengthen cybersecurity, and build a Data Governance Framework—anchored by the Government Data Centre at NatCA Tower and plans for a redundancy site at State House. Public Health Tech: NPHA and GOAL launched a roadmap to modernise Sierra Leone’s epidemic response with digital contact tracing, moving from manual systems to an integrated model using tools like COMMTACT. Disaster Preparedness: NDMA’s Erica Konneh urged inclusive, people-centred early warning systems at the Africa Early Warnings Forum, stressing trusted channels for women, persons with disabilities, and remote communities. Education Infrastructure: Eastern Technical University has started construction of a new postgraduate complex at its Panderu Town campus, plus plans for an ICT training facility and innovation hub. Land & Carbon Rights: A new report flags community awareness and benefit-sharing concerns in Tonkolili and Port Loko over a forestry carbon project generating Verra carbon credits. STEM & Forensics Leadership: Prof. Lady Sue Black was named Chancellor of Anglia Ruskin University, with prior forensic work including investigations in Sierra Leone. Cross-Border Protection: MARWOPNET trained border stakeholders on reporting mechanisms to protect women cross-border traders from sexual exploitation and abuse.

Digital Government & Data Security: Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Communication, Technology and Innovation met UN partners to tackle data fragmentation, strengthen cybersecurity, and advance a Data Governance Framework—building on the Government Data Centre at NatCA Tower and plans for a redundancy site at State House. Public Health Tech: NPHA and GOAL launched a roadmap to modernise Sierra Leone’s epidemic response with digital contact tracing, moving from manual systems to an integrated digital model with better data collection and faster response. Higher Education Infrastructure: Eastern Technical University has started construction of a new postgraduate complex at its Panderu Town campus, with plans for an ICT training facility and innovation hub to boost research and digital skills. Disaster Preparedness: NDMA’s Erica Konneh urged inclusive, people-centred early warning systems that reach women, people with disabilities, and remote communities through trusted channels. Research & Health: A new eastern Sierra Leone study reports extensive SARS-CoV-2 spread in 2022 despite few reported illness cases, pointing to possible pre-existing antibody protection. Community & Learning Tech: Orange Foundation Sierra Leone wrapped its Next Gen Summer Camp 2026, training children in coding, web development, and 3D design at the Orange Digital Centre. Local Value Addition: Sierra Leone called at Africa Oil Week 2026 for local mineral processing to keep jobs and value in-country.

UN Mapping Push: Sierra Leone backed a UN General Assembly resolution urging fairer world maps using equal-area projections, arguing “a fair world begins with a fair map.” Disaster Preparedness: NDMA’s Erica Konneh called for inclusive, people-centred early warning systems that reach women, people with disabilities and remote communities. Higher Education & Tech: Eastern Technical University has started building a new postgraduate complex in Panderu Town, with plans for an ICT training facility and innovation hub. Digital Health Upgrade: NPHA and GOAL launched a roadmap to modernise Sierra Leone’s epidemic response with digital contact tracing, including data governance and interoperability work. Public Sector Oversight: President Bio received NaMEA’s 2025 monitoring and evaluation report, urging stronger follow-through on government projects. Education for the Future: Orange Foundation Sierra Leone wrapped its Next Gen Summer Camp, training children in coding, web development and 3D design. Research on COVID Spread: A study from eastern Sierra Leone reports SARS-CoV-2 circulated widely by early 2022 with surprisingly low visible illness, pointing to possible pre-existing immunity. Land & Carbon Rights: A new report flags community concerns over land access and benefit-sharing in Tonkolili and Port Loko forestry carbon plantations. Local Justice: A Freetown magistrate denied bail to a 55-year-old businessman accused of illegal firearms possession, citing the seriousness of the charges.

Public Health Tech: Sierra Leone’s epidemic response is getting a digital upgrade as NPHA and GOAL launch digital contact tracing, moving from manual tracking to an integrated system with tools like COMMTACT and a focus on data governance and faster outbreak response. COVID-19 Research: A new eastern Sierra Leone study reports extensive SARS-CoV-2 spread in early 2022 despite few reported cases and illness, pointing to possible pre-existing antibody protection. Digital Finance for Women: AfDB and AXIAN roll out a digital finance programme for 34,000 women-led businesses across Africa, using platforms like Mixx and Mvola to combine lending with training. Energy & Connectivity: West Africa expands regional electricity links with 4,000km of transmission lines across 15 countries, improving cross-border power access for millions including in Sierra Leone. Education & STEM: Orange Foundation Sierra Leone wraps its Next Gen Summer Camp 2026, training kids in coding, web development and 3D design. Land & Carbon Rights: A new report flags land rights and benefit-sharing concerns around a forestry carbon project in Tonkolili and Port Loko, questioning how “degraded lands” and carbon credits are handled. Local Industry Push: Sierra Leone calls at Africa Oil Week for local mineral processing and regional value chains instead of exporting raw resources. Security & Courts: A Freetown businessman accused under the Arms and Ammunition Act is denied bail, while a rights-focused survey in Liberia shows strong public support for a War and Economic Crimes Court.

Digital Health (Sierra Leone): Sierra Leone’s National Public Health Agency (NPHA) and GOAL are rolling out a digital overhaul of epidemic response, using digital contact tracing to speed up detection and reduce delays during outbreaks. Primary Healthcare Digitisation (Sierra Leone): The Ministry of Health’s Directorate of Primary Health Care is partnering with the Directorate of Science, Technology and Innovation to replace manual reporting with automated, real-time systems linked to DHIS2, including dashboards for district performance. Public Health Intelligence (Africa): Africa CDC is advancing a Behavioural Intelligence and Infodemic Management framework, bringing together community feedback, social listening and service data to guide outbreak and immunisation decisions. Solar & Energy (Africa): A new analysis says Africa’s solar boom is largely “hidden” in distributed installations, with 36 of 54 countries projected to hit record PV levels in 2026. Women in Digital Finance (Africa): AfDB and AXIAN launched a programme to expand digital finance and training for 34,000 women-led businesses across five countries. Local Tech Skills (Sierra Leone): Orange Foundation Sierra Leone wrapped its Next Gen Summer Camp, training kids in coding, web development and 3D design. Local Mineral Processing (Sierra Leone): Sierra Leone urged value addition and domestic processing of minerals at Africa Oil Week 2026, pushing integrated regional value chains. Education Tech (Sierra Leone): Partners reviewed the Pikin Tab Programme, aiming to scale technology-enabled learning to thousands of schools with stronger teacher capacity and government ownership.

Local Education Tech: Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Health and DSTI are teaming up to digitize primary healthcare management and reporting, replacing manual paperwork with automated tools and dashboards linked to DHIS2. Teacher Accountability & Attendance Tech: The education ministry plans “We Day Ya” to track teacher attendance with fingerprints, GPS and tablets, with possible payroll removal after repeated unexplained absences. Digital Learning for Schools: Plan International and MBSSE reviewed the Pikin Tab Programme, aiming to reach about 4,000 schools by 2030 and pushing for teacher capacity, monitoring and government ownership. STEM Youth Pipeline: Orange Foundation Sierra Leone wrapped its Next Gen Summer Camp 2026, training kids (7–15) in coding, web development and 3D design using Scratch. Mining Value Addition: Sierra Leone urged Africa Oil Week 2026 delegates to shift from exporting raw minerals to local processing and regional value chains. Regional Power & Connectivity: The World Bank says West Africa has expanded cross-border electricity links with 4,000km of transmission lines, improving access for millions including Sierra Leone. Regional Governance: ECOWAS named a new GIABA Director-General, Mam Cherno Jallow, to strengthen anti-money laundering and financial transparency. Health in the Region: DRC’s Ebola response is at a tipping point, with thousands of cases and deaths reported as surveillance, labs, treatment and community engagement scale up.

Health Tech & Data: Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Health plans to digitize primary healthcare management, replacing manual reporting with automated tools and dashboards that link to DHIS2 for faster planning and better clinic oversight. Education Integrity: The Sierra Leone Teachers Union points to exam malpractice drivers including betting culture, misuse of technology, poor teacher conditions, poverty and favouritism—while the government also moves toward fingerprint/GPS-based “We Day Ya” attendance monitoring to tackle ghost teachers. STEM for Youth: Orange Foundation Sierra Leone wrapped its Next Gen Summer Camp 2026, training ages 7–15 in coding (Scratch), web development and 3D design. Regional Power & Connectivity: The World Bank says West Africa has expanded cross-border electricity links with 4,000km of transmission lines, improving access for millions including in Sierra Leone. Regional Governance & Security: ECOWAS named Mam Cherno Jallow as GIABA Director-General, and unveiled new publications documenting peacekeeping lessons across West Africa. Public Health Watch: Congo’s Ebola outbreak is reported as fast-growing, with thousands of cases and deaths, underscoring ongoing regional health risks.

Education & Skills (Sierra Leone): Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Technical and Higher Education has bid farewell to 11 students selected for studies in India under a new MoU with NIST University, with a reduced package of about US$1,800 covering tuition, accommodation, feeding and medical services. Digital Health (Sierra Leone): The Ministry of Health is partnering with the Directorate of Science, Technology and Innovation to digitize primary healthcare management and reporting, replacing manual paperwork with automated tools and dashboards linked to DHIS2. Education Integrity (Sierra Leone): The Basic and Senior Secondary Education Minister says teachers absent from assigned schools for six consecutive terms could be removed from the payroll, using a fingerprint/GPS “We Day Ya” attendance monitoring system. STEM Youth (Sierra Leone): Orange Foundation Sierra Leone wrapped up its Next Gen Summer Camp 2026, training children aged 7–15 in coding, web development and 3D design using Scratch. Regional Power (West Africa): The World Bank reports West Africa has expanded cross-border electricity links with over 4,000km of transmission lines, improving access for millions including in Sierra Leone. Regional Finance Governance (West Africa): ECOWAS has named Gambian economist Mam Cherno Jallow as GIABA Director-General to strengthen anti-money laundering and counter-terror financing systems. Tech Access (Africa): Google is expanding a free one-year Google AI Plus offer to students across 27 African countries, including Sierra Leone.

Digital Health in Sierra Leone: The Ministry of Health’s primary care directorate is teaming up with the Science, Technology and Innovation directorate to digitize primary healthcare reporting and management, replacing manual paperwork with automated dashboards linked to DHIS2. Education Tech & Accountability: Sierra Leone’s education ministry plans a fingerprint, GPS and tablet-based “We Day Ya” system to monitor teacher attendance and remove chronic absentees from the payroll after due process. Regional Power for West Africa: The World Bank says West Africa has built 4,000km of high-voltage lines linking 15 countries, boosting cross-border electricity trade and extending access for millions, including in Sierra Leone. ECOWAS Leadership & Governance: ECOWAS has named Mam Cherno Jallow as the new GIABA Director-General, while it also unveiled strategic publications on peacekeeping and peacemaking lessons. Youth Coding Boost: Orange Foundation Sierra Leone wrapped its Next Gen Summer Camp 2026, training kids aged 7–15 in coding, web development and 3D design. AI for Students Across Africa: Google expanded its free one-year Google AI Plus offer to students in 27 African countries, including Sierra Leone.

Regional Power & Infrastructure: The World Bank says West Africa is extending electricity integration with 4,000km+ of high-voltage lines linking 15 countries, enabling cross-border power trading and helping millions gain access to electricity from 2019–2025, including in Sierra Leone. Youth Tech Skills: Orange Foundation Sierra Leone wrapped up its Next Gen Summer Camp 2026, training kids aged 7–15 in coding, web development and 3D design using tools like Scratch. Digital Health Management: Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Health is partnering with the Directorate of Science, Technology and Innovation to digitize primary healthcare reporting and oversight, replacing manual paperwork with real-time dashboards linked to DHIS2. Education Tech & Integrity: Sierra Leone is moving toward digital teacher attendance monitoring (“We Day Ya”) using fingerprints, GPS and tablets, while education leaders push back against exam malpractice and corruption. Women-Led Business Support: UNDP has started verifying women-led SMEs in Sierra Leone’s rice post-production value chain under the EWASME project to unlock finance and market access. Learning & Sustainability: University of Sierra Leone has dropped hard-bound dissertation submissions in favor of electronic-only submissions to cut costs and waste. Media Safety: WIMSAL launched a safeguarding policy to protect journalists from sexual harassment and abuse. Labour & Skills Cooperation: Sierra Leone’s Labour Ministry is exploring deeper cooperation with China on labour administration, skills development and employment systems.

Digital Health Upgrade: Sierra Leone’s Primary Health Care Directorate is teaming up with the Science, Technology and Innovation directorate to digitize primary healthcare management, replacing manual reporting with automated dashboards linked to DHIS2 for faster planning and better clinic oversight. Education Integrity Push: The Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education says it will remove teachers from the payroll after six consecutive terms of unexplained absence, using a fingerprint, GPS and tablet-based “We Day Ya” attendance system to curb ghost teachers and attendance fraud. Academic Modernisation: University of Sierra Leone drops the hard-bound dissertation requirement, moving to electronic-only submissions to cut costs and waste. Women in Tech & Business Support: UNDP begins verifying women-led SMEs in Sierra Leone’s rice post-production value chain under the EWASME project, aiming to improve access to finance and markets. Media Safeguarding: Women in the Media Sierra Leone (WIMSAL) launches a safeguarding policy to protect journalists from sexual harassment, with clear reporting and accountability standards. Regional Tech Diplomacy: Sierra Leone is among African countries in a UNDP-supported exposure visit to India on Digital Public Infrastructure, with lessons on using digital platforms to strengthen governance and services.