John Baimba Sesay, Senior Communications Manager, Office of Mayor of Freetown
Her Worship Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr OBE, Mayor of Freetown, together with Deputy Mayor His Worship Kweku Lisk Esq. and Deputy Chief Administrator Alhassan Yillah, warmly welcomed a delegation from the Norman Foster Institute (NFI) on Sustainable Cities, based in Madrid, Spain.
The group included seven postgraduate student researchers and two professors, visiting as part of a growing partnership to advance sustainable urban development in Freetown.
This collaboration stems from Mayor Aki-Sawyerr’s previous engagements with the Norman Foster Institute during her visits in February 2024 and February 2025, where she delivered lectures on sustainable urban development and presented case studies from Freetown’s experience.
Her lecture entitled City Management Without City Management Tools highlights the challenges of administering Freetown in the absence of the critical functions of land use planning and building permit issuance. It explains how Transform Freetown Transforming Lives adopts a people centred approach to city management.
Mayor Aki-Sawyerr’s lectures laid the foundation for meaningful exchanges with urban planners and architects at NFI, culminating in this ground-breaking research visit under the NFI’s Master’s Programme on Sustainable Cities.
Freetown is one of three cities selected globally for NFI’s 2025 pilot programme, alongside Cape Town (South Africa) and Melilla (Spain).
Welcoming the delegation, Mayor Aki-Sawyerr emphasised the importance of such global-local collaborations in delivering the city’s goals under the #Transform Freetown–Transforming Lives agenda. “This collaboration reflects our shared vision. By drawing from global best practices and engaging local voices, we can develop smart, sustainable solutions that improve lives across our city,” she stated.
Dr. Gareth Simons, Head of City Science at NFI, expressed admiration for Freetown’s energy and potential, noting the team’s intention to co-create practical and locally relevant solutions through active engagement with community stakeholders.
Sophie Njei Njogu, one of the NFI students, explained that over the past four months, the team had been gathering and analysing data on Freetown’s urban planning landscape.
Their findings were shared with FCC to ensure their recommendations are rooted in the city’s current context and needs.
As part of their visit, the NFI team interacted with students from Limkokwing University of Creative Technology, and explored ongoing infrastructure projects including the Freetown Cable Car System and the Central Business District (CBD) Regeneration efforts. Field visits to Coconut Farm, Attouga Stadium and Old FBC Building at Cline Town further informed their understanding of the city’s urban dynamics.
The visit marks a significant milestone in Freetown’s international partnerships and its commitment to innovation, inclusivity, and sustainability in tackling pressing urban challenges.
