NTB Allocates NLe 40,000 Weekly for Beach Cleaning Amidst Waste Management Concerns

The Manager of the National Tourist Board (NTB) has reported that approximately NLe 40,000 is spent weekly on beach cleaning. This expenditure could be redirected towards tourism development if waste management practices were enhanced. 

She made this announcement during the weekly government press briefing at the Ministry of Information and Civic Education. 

This considerable expense results from widespread waste dumping, including plastics, mattresses, and sofas, along the coastline of Sierra Leone. Such pollution not only harms the environment but also discourages tourism. 

She added that this expenditure has prevented them from moving to other beaches to perform a similar cleaning function, and they are currently developing models to remedy this situation.

Plastic pollution poses a particularly severe challenge, with only about 7,200 tons of an estimated 130,000 tons of plastic waste being recycled annually. This issue imposes an economic burden on hotels, which, according to the World Bank, allocate up to 5% of staff salaries to cleaning efforts.

In positive developments, the Gola-Tiwai Complex, which includes the Gola Rainforest National Park and Tiwai Island, was recently designated as Sierra Leone’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site on July 13, 2025. 

This designation provides international recognition to one of West Africa’s most biodiverse regions, home to pygmy hippos, forest elephants, over 1,000 plant species, and hundreds of bird and mammal species. 

This milestone emphasizes the importance of preserving Sierra Leone’s natural beauty and highlights the potential for sustainable tourism.