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Sierra Leone’s Deputy Minister of Planning and Economic Development, Rev. Dr. Jonathan Titus-Williams, has initiated the preparation for the country’s Fifth National Human Development Report (NHDR).
The process began with a three-day inception workshop at the Atlantic Hotel in Freetown, where stakeholders were urged to commit to national ownership of the project.
The workshop, which concluded on September 25, 2025, brought together representatives from government, civil society, academia, development partners, and the private sector to determine the scope and theme of the upcoming report. Scheduled for publication in 2026, the report is intended to serve as a critical tool for shaping Sierra Leone’s development path.
In his opening remarks, Dr. Titus-Williams highlighted the NHDR’s role beyond a simple publication, framing it as a vital instrument to guide the nation’s progress. He noted that this fifth report will align with the country’s Medium-Term National Development Plan (2024–2030) and will assess development by focusing on human potential, including health, education, livelihoods, and personal freedoms, rather than solely on economic growth.
The Deputy Minister recalled the four preceding reports, with the most recent in 2019 focusing on building resilience after the Ebola epidemic and the 2017 mudslide.
Representing UNDP Sierra Leone, Mr. George Baratashvili reaffirmed the organization’s support for the initiative. He described the Human Development Reports as “knowledge instruments” designed to inform policy and stimulate public discourse. He emphasized that the process must be “nationally owned, rooted in evidence, and guided by the voices of Sierra Leone’s communities.”
The new report will feature in-depth analysis based on both qualitative and quantitative data, with the goal of strengthening national statistical capacity and introducing innovative data generation methods. Experts from Zambia and Nigeria are also participating to share international best practices.
