President Dr. Julius Maada Bio has unveiled a major increase in government funding for the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ), lifting the annual subvention to NLe 2.7 million. The President framed the move as a renewed push to secure a resilient and independent media landscape in Sierra Leone.
Addressing editors, media managers, and industry leaders at the seventh Presidential Media Cocktail, President Bio described journalists as “custodians of our democracy,” insisting that a strong press strengthens accountability and equips citizens to engage meaningfully in national life.
The new allocation marks a dramatic shift from 2020, when SLAJ received Le 200 million in the former currency. “For SLAJ, Christmas comes early,” the President quipped, saying the increased support should dispel claims that his administration does not invest in media development.
He also highlighted the media reforms rolled out since 2018, noting Sierra Leone’s rise of more than 25 places on the World Press Freedom Index since 2017, placing the country 56th globally in 2025 – one of the most notable improvements anywhere in the world. He attributed the progress to the repeal of criminal libel, stronger protections for working journalists, and consistent engagement between government and the media sector.
President Bio announced that Cabinet has approved Sierra Leone’s first National Information and Media Policy, a framework that sets rules for digital governance, responsible artificial intelligence use, and modernization of the country’s wider information infrastructure. He pointed to the country’s 95 percent compliance with the Freedom of Information law, describing access to information as “the oxygen of democracy.”
He also disclosed plans to transform the Right to Access Information Commission into a more empowered Access to Information Authority, with stronger oversight and enforcement mechanisms.
On media sustainability, the President reaffirmed support for the National Fund for Public Interest Media, which recently disbursed its first round of grants to 14 newsrooms. He praised the Media Reform Coordinating Group for steering the programme and noted the government’s role in training more than 500 journalists and public information officers in fact-checking, digital tools, and ethical reporting.
President Bio tied media development to Sierra Leone’s rising stature internationally, citing the country’s presidency of the UN Security Council, his election as ECOWAS Chair, and the approval of the USD 2.2 billion Mission 300 Energy Compact – the largest infrastructure initiative ever undertaken in Sierra Leone. He urged journalists to “tell the story of our nation with accuracy and pride.”
Turning to the challenges confronting the media, he acknowledged shrinking revenues, rapid technological shifts, and an increasingly complex information environment shaped by misinformation. He said the government will prioritize media entrepreneurship, nationwide media literacy, enhanced safety for journalists, and stronger partnerships across institutions.
He also outlined ongoing efforts to overhaul national media bodies, including reforms at the Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation and the revival of long-standing institutions like the Sierra Leone News Agency, the Government Printing Department, and the Government Daily Mail. He confirmed Cabinet’s approval of a National Records and Archives Policy and said a new Records and Archives Bill will modernize systems unchanged since 1964.
In closing, President Bio emphasized the importance of trust between the government and the press. “A President without a strong media is like Freetown without the Cotton Tree – it loses its soul, its character, and its voice,” he said.
