FREETOWN — Sierra Leone may be missing out on millions of dollars generated annually from passport services, despite citizens paying some of the highest passport fees in West Africa, according to a new investigative report.
A January 2026 study by the Institute for Governance Reform (IGR), titled Politics and Revenue Failures in Sierra Leone, reveals that the country’s electronic passport system generates an estimated $7 million to $9 million each year. However, the report says there is no clear evidence that any portion of this revenue is paid into the government’s Consolidated Revenue Fund.
Under the current system, Sierra Leoneans pay between $100 and $180 to obtain an e-passport, a cost the IGR describes as unusually high for the sub-region. With approximately 60,000 to 70,000 passports issued annually, the sector represents a major revenue stream.
Despite this, the IGR investigation found that the bulk of the income appears to go to the private company managing the service, with little or no documented financial return to the state.
“Even with these substantial yearly earnings, there is no evidence of royalty payments being made to the Government of Sierra Leone,” the report states.
The findings also raise governance and procurement concerns. According to the IGR, the e-passport contract has reportedly been extended on at least three occasions without an open and competitive bidding process or updated value-for-money reviews.
“The absence of rebidding or fresh assessments raises serious questions about transparency and compliance with procurement regulations,” the report notes.
IGR Executive Director Andrew Lavalie said the passport arrangement reflects a wider trend of what he termed “extractive contracting,” where influential business interests retain control over key revenue-generating sectors irrespective of changes in political leadership.
The report points out that the alleged irregularities span both the former APC administration and the current SLPP government.
The Institute has called on the government to disclose all financial flows linked to the passport agreement and urged the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and the National Public Procurement Authority (NPPA) to review the deal.
Among its recommendations, the report proposes a cross-party approach to renegotiating the contract to ensure the state benefits financially and to justify the high cost of passports borne by citizens.
