Parliament Building, Tower Hill, Freetown, Friday, 7 August 2026
His Excellency, President Dr. Julius Maada Bio, officially opened the Fourth Session of the Sixth Parliament of the Second Republic, reaffirming his Government’s commitment to accelerated service delivery, economic transformation and national development, while paying tribute to fallen Members of Parliament, including the late APC National Chairman, Honourable Alhaji Minkailu Mansaray.
Addressing Parliament in accordance with Section 84(3) of the 1991 Constitution, President Bio called on Members of Parliament to uphold their constitutional responsibility of legislating, ensuring accountability and shaping the nation’s future.
Reviewing the state of the economy, the President acknowledged the impact of global economic challenges, but noted that prudent fiscal management had strengthened domestic revenue, improved investor confidence and stabilized key macroeconomic indicators. He reported GDP growth of 4.6 percent in 2024 and 4.8 percent in 2025, while inflation declined to 4.4 percent by the end of 2025. He also highlighted continued support from the IMF and other development partners, including over US$323 million approved under the Extended Credit Facility and the Resilience and Sustainability Facility.
President Bio said the Government had continued to improve the business environment by expanding access to finance, supporting women- and youth-owned enterprises, and encouraging local manufacturing to take advantage of opportunities under ECOWAS and the African Continental Free Trade Area.
Highlighting progress under the Feed Salone initiative, the President announced that rice production reached 1.44 million metric tonnes in 2025, supported by expanded cultivation and improved crop varieties. He also reported growth in cocoa, coffee and cashew exports, alongside measures to stimulate domestic poultry production and strengthen food security.
On human capital development, President Bio noted significant investments in education, including the Salone Pikin 4 Play en Lan programme, expanded school feeding benefiting over one million pupils, and targeted interventions to reintegrate more than 108,000 out-of-school children into the education system.
The President also updated Parliament on progress across key sectors, including healthcare, energy, roads and bridges, water and sanitation, mining, tourism, gender equality, local governance, justice, national security, electoral reform, environmental protection and Sierra Leone’s growing leadership in regional and international affairs.
Concluding his address, President Bio reaffirmed that the Government’s focus over the coming year would be on increasing food production, expanding electricity and water supply, completing priority infrastructure projects, improving healthcare and education, and creating greater employment and enterprise opportunities for young people and women.
He further stressed that every Ministry, Department and Agency would be held accountable through measurable performance targets, with delivery, transparency and value for money remaining the hallmarks of his administration’s Year of Action and Accelerated Delivery.
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