Post a comment 
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on Thursday, 29th January 2026, hosted a high-level mission from the African Development Bank (AfDB) at the Conference Room of Integrity House, Tower Hill, Freetown.
Explaining the purpose of the meeting, Prosper Charle, Country Economist at the AfDB, said the engagement aimed to assess Sierra Leone’s economic landscape, support policy reform processes, and conduct an eligibility assessment for budgetary assistance. He noted that corruption remained a major governance and macro-economic challenge, making it necessary to gain deeper insight into the operational environment, reform priorities, and institutional capacity of the ACC.
In her statement, Valentine Nnamakula, Principal Governance Officer at AfDB, expressed strong interest in Sierra Leone’s governance tools and accountability frameworks, particularly in high-risk sectors vulnerable to corruption. She emphasized the importance of strengthening inter-agency collaboration, building a resilient accountability ecosystem, and enhancing the effectiveness of policy implementation.
Addressing the gathering, the Commissioner of the ACC, Francis Ben Kaifala, reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to supporting national economic stability through robust anti-corruption interventions. He described corruption not only as a legal concern but also as a macro-economic threat, stressing that the ACC operates under a comprehensive legal framework built on prevention and enforcement, among the most extensive in Africa.
He further disclosed that Sierra Leone has recorded one of the highest Asset Declaration compliance rates on the continent and that the Commission intends to strengthen lifestyle audits through its Asset Declaration Roadmap, aimed at improving verification, asset tracing, and enforcement mechanisms. However, he highlighted key resource constraints, noting that the major challenge was not policing but inadequate logistics, vehicles, technological tools, and operational funding.
Despite these challenges, the ACC has made significant progress in its mandate. The Commissioner also underscored the urgent need for Sierra Leone to digitize critical governance and revenue systems, warning that delays in digital transformation pose serious corruption and fiscal risks.
“Reforms that dismantle monopolies and digitize systems are critical areas where development partners must now invest, as these interventions significantly reduce corruption risks, boost revenue generation, address leakages, and strengthen domestic resource mobilization,” he stressed.
The engagement concluded with a shared commitment between the AfDB and the ACC to deepen collaboration, enhance institutional effectiveness, and support reforms aimed at promoting transparency, accountability, and economic resilience in Sierra Leone.
The meeting was chaired by the Deputy Commissioner of the ACC, Augustine Foday-Ngobie, and attended by Directors and senior management staff of the Commission. Representatives from the Ministry of Finance were also present, reflecting the multi-sectoral importance of strengthening governance and fiscal accountability in the country.
