Chernoh Alpha M. Bah, editor of the Africanist Press, has claimed that since 2002, no government in Sierra Leone has produced a genuine national development plan of its own.

In a public post, he explained that all governments over the last two decades have continued to use the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper, known as the PRSP. This plan was designed by the IMF and the UN.

Bah pointed out that even though each government gave the plan a new name, the structure and content stayed the same. He said the language may have changed, but the model has remained tied to outside agencies and not built from within the country.

He said the PRSP was first introduced in Sierra Leone in the early 2000s during the post-war recovery period. It was meant to guide spending, policy, and reforms in key areas like health, education, farming, and public services. Since then, he added, it has been the base for almost every national plan, with little change in design.

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He noted that different governments have called their versions Vision 2025, Agenda for Change, Agenda for Prosperity, and most recently the Medium-Term National Development Plan. But according to Bah, these are only renamed copies of the original PRSP, with the same focus and the same results.

Bah said that despite billions spent under these plans, major issues in jobs, food, housing, and basic services still remain. He added that growth targets have often not been met, and living standards for most people have not improved in a lasting way.

The concern raised in Bah’s post reflects a wider question many observers and citizens have asked about whether Sierra Leone’s development path is truly set by its own leaders or still shaped by conditions set by foreign institutions.

Bah also said that as of now, no government has officially broken from the PRSP model or replaced it with a new, independent plan made in Sierra Leone.