Governance Stakeholders Demand Stronger Waste Systems
Stakeholders from government institutions, local councils, development organizations, and the private sector gathered in Makeni on November 4 and 5, 2026, to call for improved coordination, increased funding, and greater private-sector involvement in addressing Sierra Leone’s waste management challenges.
The two-day national consultative and policy dialogue conference, held at the Wusum Hotel Conference Hall under the theme "Transforming Waste into Resource: Building Sustainable, Resilient, and Inclusive Circular Economies across Sierra Leone," was organized by the Ministry of Local Government and Community Affairs (MLGCA) in collaboration with Welthungerhilfe (WHH).
The leaders evaluated current gaps and proposed actionable strategies for developing sustainable circular waste systems nationwide.
Addressing delegates, the Minister of Local Government and Community Affairs, Ambassador Tamba Lamina, urged a fundamental shift in national policy, emphasizing that waste should be viewed as an economic opportunity rather than merely material for disposal. Minister Lamina highlighted four strategic priorities: strengthening local council leadership, establishing national coordination, encouraging private investment, and mobilizing adequate resources.
Supporting these calls, Resident Minister-North Ibrahim Jalloh highlighted the potential of recycling and innovation, while Deputy Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education Emily Gogra stressed the need to integrate environmental awareness into school curricula to foster long-term behavioral change among young citizens.
Highlighting WHH's decade-long partnership with the government, Country Director Emmanuel Octave Bananeza noted that rapid urbanization and rising waste generation continue to strain local infrastructure. Bananeza asserted that physical infrastructure alone is insufficient without strong institutions, community participation, and viable market mechanisms.
Complementing this perspective, Mihret Teclemariam, Executive Director of PETCO-Ethiopia, shared regional insights on waste separation, recycling, and public-private partnerships, illustrating how resource-recovery systems can reduce municipal operational expenditures while driving green job creation and local economic development.
The conference featured technical sessions, including value chain analyses presented by WHH Programme Coordinator Anteneh Abebe and policy implementation workshops led by Teclemariam, alongside working group sessions facilitated by Pius Nishimwe.
On the final day, political leaders and delegates deliberated on a draft resolution presented by Nishimwe and Martha Gbouma-Alieu of the Decentralisation Secretariat to guide strategic governance.
The conference concluded with a unified commitment to advance institutional collaboration, promote circular economy initiatives, and mobilize target investments for sustainable environmental management across Sierra Leone.
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