The Parliament of Sierra Leone has pledged its support for the APRM community-led governance initiative, following a series of training workshops held in Bo, Kenema, and Freetown under the programme “Empowering Communities, Deepening Democracy: Strengthening Community-Led Governance through Decentralization in Sierra Leone.”

A landmark engagement was held on Monday, 23rd March, in Committee Room One at the House of Parliament, bringing together Members of Parliament, the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), governance experts, and media practitioners to advance discussions on community-led governance and decentralization.

The programme opened with a welcome address by Fatmata Z. A. Rahman, who warmly received participants and provided a brief overview of the purpose of the engagement. This was followed by remarks from Hon. Musa Fofana, who served as chairperson of the occasion and highlighted the growing impact of APRM activities in communities across Sierra Leone.

Delivering an overview of the initiative, Mohamed Sheshu Sheriff, Executive Secretary of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), described community-led governance as a bottom-up decision-making model in which local populations hold primary authority over the management of resources, public services, and development processes. He explained that the approach shifts decision-making power away from centralized structures and promotes ownership, sustainability, and trust through inclusive governance practices rooted in local knowledge.

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Sheriff acknowledged the support of GIZ and the Government of Sierra Leone through Parliament, noting that APRM had conducted extensive community consultations before presenting its decentralization proposals for parliamentary consideration. He emphasized that decentralization remains critical to strengthening community development and deepening democratic governance.

Chairperson Hon. Musa Fofana underscored Parliament’s awareness of APRM’s work and its impact at the community level. He assured that Parliament would integrate APRM’s recommendations into the ongoing constitutional review process. He also called on APRM to support civic education efforts, noting that many citizens mistakenly expect Members of Parliament to directly execute infrastructure projects such as roads and bridges.

During the deliberations, Hon. Adama Bangura of Kambia District, Hon. Bilor Shaw of Falaba District, Hon. Juliana Fatorma of Bo District, and Hon. Sarafina raised concerns regarding poor road infrastructure, the need for stronger community inclusion, and improved consultation and sensitization in the implementation of APRM programmes.

In response, Sheriff reassured Members of Parliament that the concerns raised were duly noted and would be addressed in collaboration with community stakeholders and relevant government institutions.

In his closing remarks, Hon. Musa Fofana reaffirmed Parliament’s commitment to supporting APRM’s proposals as part of the constitutional review process. He referenced earlier reform efforts initiated under former President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, describing the review as an important milestone in Sierra Leone’s democratic development.

He praised APRM’s continued efforts, called for access to the APRM Act to further strengthen institutional understanding, and pledged that Parliament would champion decentralization as a key pillar for empowering communities and strengthening democratic governance in Sierra Leone.