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Sierra Leone’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Jiwoh Abdulai, has suspended the Executive Director and Deputy Executive Director of the National Protected Area Authority (NPAA), citing what he described as the agency’s failure to protect the nation’s forests and biodiversity.
The decision follows government assessments showing significant forest loss in several key national parks during 2024. According to official figures, the Western Area Peninsula National Park lost 713 hectares, Outamba-Kilimi National Park lost 2,152 hectares, and Loma Mountains National Park lost 840 hectares. By contrast, protected areas managed outside NPAA control, including Tiwai Island Wildlife Sanctuary and Gola Rainforest National Park, reported little or no forest loss.
During a meeting with NPAA staff in Freetown, Minister Abdulai stated that the Authority had fallen short of its mandate to safeguard ecosystems essential for water security, biodiversity, and economic stability. “The NPAA is failing, and that failure is a failure of conservation. We cannot afford business as usual anymore,” he said.
The Minister outlined three new environmental initiatives aimed at addressing the problem:
Tiwai-Gola Complex application for UNESCO World Heritage Status
Protect Sierra Leone Initiative, a nationwide campaign to combat deforestation
National Biofill Project, designed to strengthen biodiversity conservation
Abdulai also called on the NPAA Board to launch a full investigation into the Authority’s performance and implement stronger oversight measures. “We must show the world that NPAA can evolve into an institution capable of truly safeguarding Sierra Leone’s landscapes,” he said.
Parliamentary support for the measures came from Hon. Yusuf Mackery, Chair of the Committee on Environment and Climate Change, who urged NPAA staff to overcome internal divisions. “This situation is an embarrassment to the Authority,” Mackery said. “It’s not just about policy; it’s about delivering the President’s vision through real, tangible action.”
The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change has pledged to work closely with NPAA staff to restore public confidence in the institution. With forests continuing to disappear at an alarming rate, the effectiveness of the restructuring will be closely watched in the months ahead.
