Agreement strengthens budget transparency in Sierra Leone
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Sierra Loaded
Illustrative image · Tappiah Sesay · Pexels · Licence PexelsThe Budget Advocacy Network and the National Council of Paramount Chiefs signed an agreement in Freetown to improve access to budget information in Sierra Leone. The partnership should help traditional authorities monitor projects, public procurement and local audits, reports Sierra Loaded.
The Budget Advocacy Network (BAN), a civil society organisation, has signed a memorandum of understanding with the National Council of Paramount Chiefs (NCPC), which represents Sierra Leone’s traditional paramount chiefs, to strengthen access to budget information in the country’s chiefdoms. The agreement was concluded on 27 October 2026 in Freetown, according to Sierra Loaded.
The partnership is intended to facilitate the monitoring of development projects and make data on local council budgets, procurement procedures and audits more accessible. Paramount chiefs will thus be better able to engage with the authorities on the use of public funds in their chiefdoms, said Abubakar Kamara, BAN coordinator.
Abubakar Kamara said that many traditional chiefs are not informed about projects carried out in their communities, limiting their ability to monitor their progress and management. BAN wants to simplify local budget information to reduce this information gap and strengthen public officials’ accountability, according to Sierra Loaded.
The agreement should also help traditional authorities better understand the resources available for their own development projects and improve revenue mobilisation at chiefdom level. Kamara explained that these authorities often have projects but lack the financial means to carry them out, reports Sierra Loaded.
