SLPHA Tackles Port Congestion with Stakeholder Collaboration and Roadway Measures
Key port officials and terminal managers recently gathered on Radio Democracy's Port Hour broadcast to outline ongoing efforts, key outcomes, and strategic next steps for decongesting Sierra Leone's primary seaport.
Hosted by Mac Ivan Kakpindi Vandy, Head of Media and Public Relations at the Sierra Leone Ports and Harbours Authority (SLPHA), the panel featured Foday Manso Koroma, Director of Operations and Monitoring at SLPHA, and Darrel Coker, Operational Excellence Manager at Freetown Terminal Limited.
The discussion focused directly on resolving operational bottlenecks that delay importers and exporters.
Addressing the main drivers of delay, Koroma highlighted landside accessibility and lengthy container processing as central challenges.
"Accessibility to the port has been one of the primary hurdles we needed to overcome," Koroma noted, while highlighting that targeted interventions over the past month have yielded measurable improvements.
To overhaul cargo traffic flow, SLPHA leadership—guided by Director General Yankuba Bio—initiated multi-agency consultations bringing together Freetown Terminal Limited (FTL), the Sierra Leone Police, Customs authorities, ITS, and LSS.
A pivotal outcome of the joint strategy was the systematic removal of traffic barriers along the crucial corridor stretching from Shell to the port gates. The move immediately streamlined heavy truck movements and mitigated bottlenecking on approach routes.
To maintain these gains, Koroma deployed dedicated operational officers to continuously monitor traffic flow and prevent gridlock from re-emerging around the terminal perimeter.
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