Freetown: The Ministry of Information and Civic Education met with the Sierra Leone News Agency (SLENA) on May 13, 2026, to strengthen collaboration, introduce key directorates, and propose ways to resolve overlapping duties between government information officers and SLENA correspondents.
According to Sierra Leone News Agency, Chief Director Alimamy Lahai Kamara opened the meeting by stressing the need for clarity on portfolio responsibilities. He explained the ministry has two branches including administrative, led by the government secretary, and professional, led by the minister. The professional branch emerged from a Management Functional Review and now operates four directorates under a chief director. Kamara noted that the team would support emerging national events without any personal agenda, only that of the minister.
SLENA Managing Director Madam Lolo Yeama Sarah Thompson-Oguamah congratulated the newly appointed directors and highlighted Sierra Leone's commitment to gender equity, with women holding many senior management positions. She emphasized the unified voice within the organization and acknowledged a colleague named Joe for his steady counsel.
Madam Francess Josephine Kafula, Director of Government Information Service, spoke about her unit's role in ensuring transparent public communication and countering disinformation. She encouraged collaboration with her chief to prevent turf conflicts between officers and SLENA correspondents.
Head of Strategic Communications Abu Bakarr Joe Sesay outlined their mandate to protect both the people and the government, overseeing various media platforms. He welcomed reporters' assistance due to travel constraints resulting from economic limitations.
Ahmed Fonike Bangura Esq., Director of Policy, Research, and Monitoring and Evaluation, highlighted the gap between laws and policies. He mentioned that over the past two years, the ministry had delivered four policies: national media, records and accounts, data protection, and national film. His directorate monitors the ministry and its ecosystem for accountability.
Albert Moore, Acting Director of Records and Archives, described the process of managing records from creation to archiving. He suggested that SLENA's documentation methods could benefit the archives.
The Chief Director mentioned the minister's aim for the Daily Mail to become an excellent, full-color newspaper with a robust online presence, distributing free printed copies to educational institutions and the private sector. This initiative would require SLENA's essential support.
Madam Thompson-Oguamah welcomed the visit and reflected on her journalism career, noting the evolution of SLENA and its continued role in sharing stories with the Daily Mail. She distinguished between GIS's policy-driven reporting and SLENA's human-centered news approach.