The National Public Procurement Authority (NPPA) has been recognised with the Institutional Excellence Award at the National Professional Awards 2025, held on Sunday, January 18, 2026, in Freetown. The award acknowledges the Authority’s commitment to ethical standards, staff welfare, teamwork, strategic leadership, and institutional reforms.

Organised by the African Consulting Group, the event brought together leading public and private sector institutions to celebrate professionalism and impactful leadership across Sierra Leone.

The award highlights the progress achieved by NPPA under the leadership of Chief Executive Officer Fodie J. Konneh, whose tenure has focused on strengthening governance, transparency, and organisational effectiveness.

A cornerstone of this transformation is the Electronic Government Procurement (e-GP) Initiative, including the recent launch of the Supplier Registration Module, which is expected to expand access, enhance transparency, and simplify supplier participation nationwide.

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Additionally, NPPA successfully conducted the Methodology for Assessing Procurement Systems (MAPS) assessment within record time, providing an internationally benchmarked diagnosis of Sierra Leone’s procurement system and laying a foundation for evidence-based reforms.

The Authority has also cleared a four-year backlog (2020–2023) of Annual Public Procurement Compliance Assessment Reports, which were submitted to the President and published for public access—reinforcing transparency, accountability, and stakeholder confidence.

Beyond systems reform, NPPA has prioritised human capital development, conducting a comprehensive Management and Functional Review through the Public Sector Reform Unit. This exercise resulted in a new organisational structure and clearly defined career progression pathways, addressing long-standing uncertainties around staff growth.

In a further demonstration of restored governance and international engagement, NPPA cleared a long-standing backlog of membership dues spanning more than five years to the African Public Procurement Network (APPN). This strategic move has repositioned NPPA and Sierra Leone as a credible and influential voice at the continental level, strengthening the country’s participation in policy dialogue, peer learning, and cooperation among African public procurement authorities.

Konneh’s leadership has also delivered substantial gains in capacity development. In addition to sponsoring several staff to pursue long-term postgraduate studies abroad, the Authority continues to support officers both within and outside the country to attend short-term professional and specialised training programmes. These targeted courses are designed to sharpen technical skills, enhance productivity, and ensure staff remain responsive to the evolving demands of modern public procurement. As has always been the practice, beneficiaries are expected to return and apply their enhanced competencies in service of the Authority’s reform agenda.

Complementing these initiatives, management has secured a more conducive work environment and implemented staff-centred measures that have significantly boosted morale, cohesion, and professional commitment across the institution.

The Institutional Excellence Award, therefore, stands as a compelling endorsement of NPPA’s transformation an institution aligning people, processes, technology, and international engagement to deliver integrity, efficiency, and value for money in public procurement. It affirms both the progress achieved to date and NPPA’s unwavering commitment to sustaining reform momentum in support of national development priorities.