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Sierra Leone has joined government officials, legal publishers, and civic education leaders from across Africa at the African Official Gazettes Forum Conference, officially opened today by the President of the Republic of Djibouti, His Excellency Ahmed Araita Alie.
The two-day conference, held under the patronage of Djibouti’s senior leadership, brings together delegates from over 25 African countries, including Ethiopia, Senegal, Algeria, Namibia, and Sierra Leone.
The forum aims to strengthen the role of official journals in promoting government transparency, legal certainty, and public trust.
“Official gazettes are the legal backbone of democratic governance. Their integrity and accessibility are essential to empowering citizens and ensuring accountability,” said President Alie during the opening session.
Representing Sierra Leone at the conference are Mr. Salifu L. Suma, Government Printer at the Government Printing Department, and Emmanuel A.B. Turay, Acting Director of Government Information Services at the Ministry of Information and Civic Education (MoICE).
The delegation will share Sierra Leone’s experience in digitising the Sierra Leone Gazette to improve timeliness and accessibility, coordinating legal publications across ministries, and training civil servants and media professionals in journal interpretation and civic literacy.
The conference features technical workshops, policy roundtables, and bilateral meetings, focusing on the development of e-Gazette platforms, digital repositories, harmonisation of publication formats, and integration of official journals into civic education and legal empowerment initiatives.
The forum will conclude with a joint communiqué calling for increased investment in official journal infrastructure, regional peer-learning and technical exchanges, and recognition of gazettes as vital tools for democratic resilience and inclusive governance.
