BO, Sierra Leone – Saturday, 15 August 2026 – Vice President Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh on Saturday continued the nationwide regional consultations on local governance and decentralisation in Bo City, Southern Region, a day after the exercise was launched in Kenema.
The meeting, which he chaired, brought together Paramount Chiefs, local council officials, ministers and other key stakeholders. Discussions focused on major national reforms and their impact on local governance, while giving participants the chance to raise challenges and suggest practical solutions.
“This is not a meeting where we come to tell you what to do. It is a learning process. We are here to listen to the challenges of local governance,” the Vice President told the gathering.
Dr. Jalloh explained that moving the consultations from Freetown to the regions was deliberate. The aim, he said, is to deepen government’s engagement with local institutions and ensure national policies take account of realities on the ground.
He highlighted ongoing reforms in land governance and administration, health, social welfare and other sectors, stressing that local authorities and traditional leaders must understand these changes and help shape how they are implemented.
A key highlight of the Bo meeting was the inauguration of the Regional Coordination Committee for the Southern Region. The committee is expected to improve coordination among local governance actors in the region.
The Vice President also acknowledged the World Bank’s continued support for the decentralisation agenda and its readiness to provide further assistance. He noted that the Inter-Ministerial Committee on local governance and decentralisation remains committed to taking the consultations to all regions of the country.
The process will next move to the district level. Vice President Jalloh announced that he plans to spend two days in each district engaging stakeholders on challenges affecting local governance, including the relationship between chiefdoms and local councils.
Government expects the broader exercise to strengthen collaboration between national and local institutions, improve service delivery and advance its commitment to bringing governance closer to the people.
