Sixty-Five Years Of Building Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone turned 65 this year, marking a journey from independence and reconstruction to a new era of economic ambition.  

Today, it looks remarkably different from the country that gained independence in 1961. Life expectancy has risen to 62 years, while its economy has grown from roughly US$328 million to US$7.5 billion. Even everyday services are changing.  

“With automation, a driver’s license that used to take a week now takes just a day,” says James Bagie Bio, Executive Director of the Sierra Leone Road Safety Authority. 

One of the country’s recent milestones and a source of national pride is the Lungi International Airport. Its new terminal, three times the size of what came before, crowned with a flowing, wavelike roof, was built to welcome up to 90,000 passengers a month. A US$270 million investment, it now meets international aviation standards and strengthens the country’s ability to attract major global carriers. 

“Transport connects people to opportunity while unlocking the country’s economic potential,” says Hon. Alhaji Fanday Turay, Minister of Transport and Aviation. “The significant work that has been done means we can welcome more people to Sierra Leone,” notes Ganiyu Sanni, Country MD and CEO of Access Bank Sierra Leone.  

Road upgrades have followed, while a proposed bridge would connect Freetown directly to Lungi. 

Beyond national infrastructure, Sierra Leone is strengthening its links with regional markets. The country forms part of the Trans-West African Coastal Highway, a 4,010-km road meant to connect Dakar to Lagos across 11 countries, already 81% paved. Eight nations, Sierra Leone among them, are now planning an even longer route stretching from Cabo Verde to Côte d’Ivoire, backed by the African Development Bank. 

Closer to home, Sierra Leone has signed a US$364 million deal with Liberia to upgrade a 255-km road linking the two countries.  

“Infrastructure and machines are all money, but without the people, we cannot operate them. We have 99% Sierra Leoneans in the company, and all these machines that we are going to bring will be operated by Sierra Leoneans,” says Captain Fabjanko Kokan, Regional Managing Director of Africa Global Logistics (AGL). 

In 2025, Sierra Leone’s real GDP grew an estimated 4.5%, supported by strong agricultural performance under the government’s Feed Salone program, while services, particularly retail and wholesale trade, also continued to expand.  

“Sierra Leone is the future because its economy is growing while enormous potential remains untapped,” says Vista Bank Managing Director Pa Ousman Njie.  

Energy investment will be critical to powering industrial growth. The nation developed its first standardized power purchase agreement for solar and battery-storage projects in 2026, while a proposed 20 MW solar project with 10 MW of battery storage could strengthen electricity supply. 

But another energy story begins with a blackout. When his young son fell ill during a power cut, self-taught engineer Oswald Abioseh Dundas was inspired to find another way to produce light. His Water Light Technology uses saltwater to generate electricity, an innovation that took him to the Startup World Cup global stage in Silicon Valley in 2025. He represents Sierra Leone’s growing culture of homegrown innovation, turning local challenges into solutions with wider applications.  

Sixty-five years after independence, perhaps there is no better symbol of how far Sierra Leone has come than a Sierra Leonean turning one of his country’s everyday challenges into an idea with the potential to light homes far beyond its shores.