AWE Media Sierra Leone

By: Alusine Rehme Wilson  Ernest Bai Koroma University of Science and Technology (EBKUST), Sierra Leone’s third public university and led by Professor Edwin J.J. Momoh, has significantly strengthened its international engagement through a renewed collaboration with China’s Suzhou University of Science and Technology (SUST).  The partnership, first initiated in September 2024, marks a new chapter in EBKUST’s efforts to foster academic exchange, joint research initiatives, and faculty development. The initial agreement between both universities were sealed in motion during EBKUST’s 2024 visit to China, where a delegation consisting of Dr. Joseph Davies, Dr. Maurice B. Kargbo, and Dr. Robert Kargbo laid the foundation for collaboration.  The EBKUST delegation did sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with SUST, outlining shared objectives such as supporting EBKUST’s Open Distance Learning (ODL) program, facilitating staff and student exchanges, and launching joint researc...

By: Alusine Rehme Wilson  Statistics Sierra Leone has extended its Geographic Information Systems (GIS) training by five days, reaffirming its commitment to a well-prepared and high-quality national cartographic mapping exercise scheduled for 2025. The extension was confirmed on Wednesday, October 1, 2025 by the Statistician General and Chief Census Officer, Mr. Andrew Bob Johnny, on Wednesday, October 1, during his virtual closing remarks at the end of the initial 10-day nationwide GIS training program. In his address, Mr. Johnny commended the collaborative efforts of the Statistics Sierra Leone Council Chairman, Mr. Moses Williams, the Deputy Statistician General, Mr. Lansana K. Kanneh, the training facilitators, and the broader management team.  The Statistician General who doubles as Sierra Leone's Chief Census Officer in his address described the just concluded 10-day cartographic mapping training for potential field staff as “one of the most effective field staff trainin...

By: Alusine Rehme Wilson  ( Ambassador Kao Denero) In a surprising and heartfelt message, Sierra Leonean music producer and sound engineer Joseph S. Koroma, popularly known as Nashito Kulala, has publicly expressed admiration for Sierra Leone's first ever Entertainment Ambassador, who doubles as Africa's reigning hip-hop icon, Amara Turay alias Kao Denero. Kulala's recent publication outrightly silenced the perceived long-standing speculation of rivalry between Nashito and his perceived boss Kao Denero whom many believed payed the way for the rising producer when he walked with him almost a decade ago. Widely seen as a critic or opposing voice to Kao Denero and his Black Leo movement, Kulala took to his official Facebook page, followed by over 99,000 fans, to share a candid confession: he holds deep respect for Kao Denero’s artistic legacy and contribution to Sierra Leone’s music industry. “Kao Denero’s courage to carry on and remain consistent for decades is no child’s pla...

By: Alusine Rehme Wilson  Twelve Sierra Leoneans, including ten members of the Sports Writers Association of Sierra Leone (SWASAL), have been officially certified by the Department of Human Kinetics and Sports at Fourah Bay College (FBC), University of Sierra Leone, following the successful completion of a two-week intensive course in Sports Ethics, Administration, and Management. The training, which ran from September 11 to 25, 2025, was designed to equip sports journalists, ranging from writers and young reporters to editors and students, with essential skills in ethical sports reporting, communication, and sports management.  The 14-day course also aimed to deepen participants’ understanding of human kinetics and modern sports science. The certification ceremony was held at the FBC campus in Freetown on Saturday and attended by prominent figures, including the President of the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ), Mr. Alhaji Manika Kamara, and the Deputy Executive...

By: Alusine Rehme Wilson  The Statistician General of Statistics Sierra Leone, who doubles as the Chief Census Officer, Mr. Andrew Bob Jonny, delivered inspiring messages to trainees participating in the ongoing 10-day cartographic mapping and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) training during his supervisory visit in Makeni on Saturday, September 27, 2026. The training, currently taking place at the Garden State, and Buyas Hotel training centers in Bombali District, Northern, Sierra Leone is part of the preparatory phase for the 2026 National Population and Housing Census. Addressing dozens of aspiring field mappers and other filed staff, Mr. Jonny commended the participants for their enthusiasm, commitment, and discipline demonstrated in the early days of the 10-day cartographic mapping training for trainees from Bombali, Falaba, Koinadugu and Tonkolili districts in the northern region. “I’ve observed that you are gradually adjusting to the training process, which is truly enco...

By: Alusine Rehme Wilson  The Chairman of Statistics Sierra Leone Council, Mr. Moses Williams, has emphasized the agency’s independence from political influence, urging staff and trainees to uphold neutrality,  professionalism be patriotic in the lead-up to the country’s 2026 national census. As part of his ongoing nationwide monitoring visits to cartographic mapping and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) training centers, Chairman Williams on Thursday, September 25, addressed census trainees from Bombali, Falaba, Koinadugu, and Tonkolili districts at the Garden State training hall in Makeni noting that there is no room for politics in the work of Statistics Sierra Leone. "Our work is entirely apolitical,” he said. “Statistics Sierra Leone is committed to credible, unbiased data collection, and we cannot allow politics to interfere with the integrity of our mission to deliver for national good.” Joined by two of the Statistics Sierra Leone Council Members Mr. Sahr James Bang...

Statement by the Secretary General of the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ), Edward Marrah, at the Commemoration of the International Day for Universal Access to Information (IDUAI) at the Family Kingdom Resort, Aberdeen on 25th September 2025 Courtesies…..   On behalf of the President and the entire membership of the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ), I bring you warm greetings, and I am honoured to make this statement as we commemorate the International Day for Universal Access to Information.   This year’s theme, ‘Ensuring Access to Environmental Information in the Digital Age’ is particularly important because access to information is not only a fundamental human right, but also a vital tool for accountability, transparency, and sustainable development.   Sierra Leone continues to grapple with serious environmental challenges: frequent flooding in Freetown that claims lives and destroys property; deforestation and land degradation in the prov...