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The Minister of Information and Civic Education, Chernor Bah, has unveiled bold plans to transform the Miatta Conference Centre into a modern, functional, and internationally recognized facility within the next 12 to 18 months.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Liberty Online TV, Minister Bah revealed that the project has already attracted interest from partners across the globe, including China, Australia, and Germany.
“People have called me from Australia, China, and Germany saying it’s their idea. We are going to bring all these ideas together between now and December,” the Minister said.
According to him, the Chinese government, which constructed the original building, has expressed interest in supporting the redevelopment and is already engaging in working sessions with the ministry. Other international and private sector partners have also shown enthusiasm to be part of the initiative.
Bah explained that the Ministry will finalize the vision and scope of the project before developing an implementation plan with experts and partners. He noted that while government will contribute some funds, most of the financing will come through partnerships with international agencies and the private sector.
“The advisory council will also help to find the money. It is not the government that will pay for all this,” Bah stated. “By December, I will be able to say, ‘give us a year or a year and a half,’ and I can assure you it will not be like in the past.”
He added that within a year to 18 months, the Miatta Conference Centre will be transformed into a fully functional, state-of-the-art space that will serve as a source of national pride.
“I will sit here and tell you that the building, in one year, will become functional. The people of Sierra Leone will look at it and say they never thought it was possible,” he said confidently.
Minister Bah emphasized that the project aligns with President Julius Maada Bio’s vision to revitalize the Miatta Conference Centre during his tenure.
He, however, acknowledged that the exact cost of the project is yet to be determined.
“I don’t know how much the project will cost, and that’s the problem that used to happen in the past,” he explained. “My old boss used to say, when ideas lead, money will follow. The money should be determined by the ideas not the other way around.”
The Minister stressed the need to “rethink the entire project” based on a clear, innovative vision that incorporates expert input from creative professionals and development partners.
He cited UNDP and the Chinese government as key partners who have already supported the ministry in various ways including establishing a modern press and tech room that enables live-streamed press briefings.
Additionally, UNESCO and local mobile companies have expressed interest in supporting the initiative, with telecom operators offering to provide free internet access within the new facility to enhance its digital capacity.
“Once the vision is completed and outlined, we will look at different ways to source the resources,” Bah concluded.
The upcoming renovation of the Miatta Conference Centre is being positioned as a national symbol of innovation and partnership one that blends government leadership with private and international collaboration to deliver a modern civic space for Sierra Leone.
