Sierra Leone’s Manufacturing Reboot: A New National Direction Emerges from the 2025 Manufacturers Conference
Sierra Leone’s manufacturing sector entered a new chapter of ambition and clarity during the 2025 Manufacturers Dialogue Conference and Exhibition — the first of its kind in the country’s history. What unfolded over two days at the Freetown International Conference Centre was more than a technical dialogue; it was a sector-wide mobilisation, backed by strong […]
Women, Youth & the AfCFTA: What Sierra Leone Learned About Inclusive Trade at the National AfCFTA Conference
Women and youth drive Sierra Leone’s economy — farming, processing, trading, transporting, and powering local markets across the country. Yet, as highlighted at the National AfCFTA Conference held in Freetown, Sierra Leone (14–17 October 2025), they remain among the groups most constrained by structural barriers that limit their participation in cross-border and formal trade. The […]
From Rules to Opportunities: A Practical Guide to AfCFTA’s Rules of Origin for Sierra Leonean Businesses as Discussed in the AfCFTA Conference
Insights from the Technical Sessions of the AfCFTA National Conference As Sierra Leone prepares to trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), one issue emerged repeatedly during the National AfCFTA Conference in October 2025: understanding the Rules of Origin (RoO). They are the gateway to the entire agreement — determining which goods qualify […]
Sierra Leone Steps Forward: How the AfCFTA Conference Positioned the Country as a Front-Runner in Regional Trade Readiness
Sierra Leone’s ambition to become a competitive player under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) took centre stage during the October 2025 National AfCFTA Conference in Freetown. Over four days, regional bodies, development partners, the private sector, and government agencies openly acknowledged Sierra Leone’s progress — highlighting the country as a reform-driven, increasingly coordinated, […]
From Policy to Practice: Sierra Leone Steps Into a New Trade Era at the AfCFTA Regional Conference
Sierra Leone took a decisive step toward rewriting its place in Africa’s trading future as government leaders, regional institutions, development partners, and private-sector actors convened in Freetown for the Sierra Leone AfCFTA Regional Conference, held 14–17 October 2025. Hosted at the Foreign Service Academy, the four-day gathering did more than tick boxes on continental obligations […]