Freetown – The ultra-modern Sewa Grounds Market in the heart of Freetown’s Central Business District is now fully booked and will open for trading on 1 September, Managing Director of Sierra Estate Management Limited (SEMCO) Lansana Koroma has confirmed.
Koroma said the strong demand follows President Julius Maada Bio’s decision to slash open-stall rents by 50 per cent — from NLe 12,000 to NLe 6,000 a year — a rate that will remain in place until the end of the President’s tenure. Pressure for spaces has been intense, and the market is now 100 per cent booked.
The NASSIT-built facility, valued at around $20 million and funded by workers’ social security contributions, was officially commissioned by President Bio on 18 September 2025. It offers more than 1,500 trading spaces, including open stalls, lock-up shops, warehouses, a car park, daycare centre, toilets, reliable water and electricity, 24-hour security and CCTV. Management was handed over to SEMCO, a NASSIT subsidiary.
After months of delays that left many traders still operating on congested streets such as Garrison, Rawdon and Howe, the September 1 start date marks the long-awaited beginning of organised trading at the site.
Officials say the market is expected to ease street trading in the city centre and provide a safer, more dignified environment for petty traders and small businesses.
