SLPHA & NDMA Commit To Promote Mutually Beneficial Objectives
The Sierra Leone Ports and Harbours Authority (SLPHA) and the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) have reaffirmed their commitment to working together to promote efficient port operations while safeguarding national disaster preparedness through enhanced collaboration and strategic planning.
The commitment was made during a high level meeting between officials of two government institutions, led by their respective Directors General, at the Queen Elizabeth II Quay in Freetown.
Addressing the meeting, SLPHA Director General, Yankuba Askia Bio, highlighted the growing pressure on the Port of Freetown as cargo volumes continue to rise significantly. He noted that the Authority is implementing several measures to decongest the Port, including the temporary use of the Inland Container Depot (ICD) at Hastings, which primarily serves as a storage facility for empty containers and a holding center for transit containers. Mr. Bio explained that the temporary facility has played a critical role in easing congestion at the Port, while plans are underway for a permanent inland container depot. According to him, SLPHA is currently operating from Hastings on a temporary basis and intends to relocate once the new facility is completed. “We are planning an expansion, but we are only perching at Hastings for now, because the land is not ours. As soon as our expansion is completed, we will relocate. There is also another ICD under construction at Koya, and whichever is completed first will determine our movement,” the Director General revealed.
Responding to concerns by the NDMA regarding the proximity of the Hastings ICD to the Agency’s proposed Emergency Operations Center (EOC), Mr. Bio proposed a joint inspection of the site involving officials from NDMA, Resilient Urban Sierra Leone Project (RUSLP) and SLPHA to provide a clearer understanding of the size and operational scope of the container depot and to determine an appropriate buffer distance for the EOC. He stressed that decongesting the Port is essential to maintaining operational efficiency and preventing infrastructure overload. “The volume of cargo passing through the Port has increased by over 300 percent. We therefore need more space to accommodate the increasing traffic. The more cargo we handle, the more revenue we generate for Government,” he stated, reiterating the urgent need for additional facilities to support Port expansion and national economic growth.
Speaking during the meeting, NDMA Director General, John Vandy Rogers, recalled that the Agency was established in 2020 as a human security institution following the devastating August 14th 2017 mudslide in Freetown, which claimed hundreds of lives and caused extensive destruction. He said the tragedy underscored the importance of shifting the country’s focus from merely responding to disasters to preventing and mitigating them. Mr. Rogers explained that concerns over the Hastings site arose after he received inquiries suggesting that containers were being moved to what some believed was NDMA’s Emergency Operations Center. He clarified that the container depot is separate from the Agency’s proposed facilities, but appealed to the SLPHA to ensure that adequate distance is maintained between the two developments. The NDMA boss described the EOC as a vital national asset for disaster prevention, preparedness, mitigation and emergency response, adding that once completed, it would also provide support to critical national institutions, including the Port.
The meeting concluded with both institutions reaffirming their commitment to continued dialogue, cooperation and joint planning to ensure that Port development and national disaster management objectives are pursued in a coordinated and mutually beneficial manner.
