MoPED Engages Sorogbema Residents on Chiefdom Development Priorities
Sia Lucy Kannah The Ministry of Planning and Economic Development (MoPED), in collaboration with the Ministry of Local Government and Community Affairs (MLGCA) and supported by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), has strengthened community-driven growth by hosting a major development planning consultation in Fairo, the headquarters town of Sorogbema Chiefdom.
The consultation builds on an initial pre-engagement held in Jendema on September 12, 2026. Bringing together traditional authorities, local council representatives, government officials, community leaders, and youth and women delegates, the workshop offered local stakeholders a direct platform to translate previously identified community challenges into specific, actionable, and prioritized development interventions.
Addressing the gathering, the Minister of Planning and Economic Development, Kenyeh Barlay, underscored the critical need for local ownership in national progress. She urged participants to take active responsibility in identifying top priorities, reiterating that effective development planning must be directly informed by the real-world needs and aspirations of the communities it serves.
Leading the technical team, Deputy Development Secretary Mr. Usman Cherry Conteh challenged attendees to align their chiefdom’s goals with the Government’s “Big Five Game Changers” and the Medium-Term National Development Plan. Rather than listing broad grievances, Mr. Conteh urged stakeholders to propose realistic, practical solutions that address local realities while pushing national objectives forward. He added that strong community commitment is essential to converting plans into tangible results.
To guide the prioritizing process, Mr. Joseph Samah, Deputy Director of Planning Policy and Research at MoPED, outlined the technical structure of the Chiefdom Development Plan. He explained that proposed interventions fall into two main categories: Social Projects: Initiatives designed to meet immediate basic needs and expand access to essential local services.
Developmental Projects: Revenue-generating initiatives aimed at expanding economic opportunities, boosting income, and creating a sustainable pool of funds that communities can reinvest over the long term.
The consultation was chaired by Baindu Tshombe, District Planning Officer for Pujehun District. Regional leadership expressed strong backing for the initiative:
During the working session, participants divided into participatory breakout groups to articulate sector-specific concerns, debate potential solutions, and rank the chiefdom’s most pressing interventions.
This chiefdom-level exercise is part of MoPED’s broader effort to decentralize development planning, ensuring grassroots priorities directly feed into district and national policy frameworks. Once finalized, the Sorogbema Chiefdom Development Plan will serve as a structured roadmap for guiding future investments and fostering sustainable local development.