FREETOWN – Sierra Leone’s armed forces plan to recruit and train 4,000 new personnel in 2027 in a major expansion aimed at addressing manpower shortages and strengthening national security, the Chief of Defence Staff has said.
Lieutenant General Amara Idara Bangura disclosed the plan on Monday during the 2027 bilateral budget hearings at the Miatta Conference Centre in Freetown, where ministries, departments and agencies are defending their financial proposals before the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development.
Bangura said the recruitment would be conducted in two phases 2,000 personnel in the first half of the year and another 2,000 in the second, which he described as a “brigade exercise.”
The figure marks a significant increase from the 1,800 new personnel, including 300 specialists, initially outlined in the Ministry of Defence budget document, plus 500 border guards. Bangura said the revision to 4,000 was necessary to replace retiring officers and fill critical gaps.
Bangura said it costs the country more than $45,000 to train a single soldier, underscoring the financial burden of building a professional force.
The Ministry of Defence is seeking NLe7.59 billion (approximately $33 million) for 2027, comprising NLe1.29 billion in recurrent expenditure and NLe6.30 billion in public investment programmes.
The ministry’s priorities for 2027 include operationalising C5ISTAR and cybersecurity capabilities, constructing and refurbishing military barracks, establishing Level III healthcare services within its Joint Medical Unit, equipping its newly formed Commando Regiment, and providing professional military training for at least 30% of personnel.
According to figures presented at the hearing, the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF) recruited 1,624 personnel between January and September 2026, with 1,452 currently undergoing training. A further 1,048 soldiers recruited in 2025 are now in active service. A planned recruitment of 500 border guards has yet to be completed.
The RSLAF currently has an estimated 13,000 active personnel across its army, navy and air force branches.
Bangura acknowledged that despite recent recruitment drives, the military lacks sufficient resources to fully secure the country across land, air, maritime and cyber domains.
“Defence is expensive,” he told officials, appealing to the Ministry of Finance to provide adequate funding to enable the armed forces to meet its 2027 objectives.
He said the ministry’s strategic plan, which extends beyond 2035, is guided by the national Defence Policy and Strategy to protect Sierra Leone’s sovereignty, maintain stability, deter threats such as terrorism and subversion, and support democratic governance and national development.
The defence budget presentation is part of the government’s FY2027 budget process, launched earlier this month, which will set spending priorities amid tight fiscal conditions.
