AYV News, January 15, 2026
Sierra Leone’s President, Dr Julius Maada Bio, has summoned his Cabinet Ministers and stakeholders to a strategic meeting aimed at prioritising programs and activities for this year of action.
He said, “As President, I am clear about what you should expect from your government: honesty about our challenges, careful use of public resources, respect for the law and institutions that serve the national interest. My administration is committed to making progress that positively impacts all Sierra Leoneans. As we start 2026, I speak to you with a strong sense of duty and with confidence in the direction ourcountry is moving. This is not a year for easy words or quick assurances”.
He reminded his team that this is a year that requires steadyleadership, careful decisions, and a shared effort from them all, while encouraging them to begin this year more stablethan before. “Clearer about our challenges and more realistic about the choices we must make,” he said.
According to the president, the task before their government is not to promise more, but to ensure that they do deliver results that people can recognise in their daily lives. He confessed that he feels the weight of this responsibility every day, because the decisions they take affect families, jobs, and thefuture of the children.
However, he said national progress does not depend on the government alone, adding that it also depends on how people behave as citizens — how public servants do their work, how businesses operate, how communities resolve problems, and how they treat one another, especially in difficult times.
He said change takes time, while appealing for patience and cooperation from all. “We begin this year at a time of serious global challenges. Around the world, countries are facing high living costs, tight fiscal space, climate pressures, anduncertainty. Sierra Leone is not untouched by these realities,but we are not helpless either. In recent years, we have taken tough decisions to steady our economy, strengthen public institutions, and rebuild confidence. These steps taken werenot easy, but they were necessary to protect our future”.President Bio said, assuring that the year 2026 is an important turning point and that his government has worked to stabilise the nation; now everyone must use that stability to deliver results.
President Bio concluded saying, “This must be a Year ofAction. A year where plans translate into real improvements in people’s lives. Our progress will be measured in simple ways: whether public services work better, whether food is more affordable, whether jobs are created, and whether the Government responds effectively when citizens need help.With respect to our economy, we will manage public finances carefully. We will live within our means, focus on what matters most, and use public funds openly and responsibly.We will avoid quick fixes that bring short- term relief but create deeper problems later”.
Some decisions, he warned, will be painful in the present but that they are taken to protect the children’s future, preventrecurring crises, and ensure that they do not trade tomorrow for temporary comfort today. He assured that this New Year, economic improvement must be felt in everyday life and that familiesshouldbeable toplanbetter, businesses invest more and farmers should haveconfidence that their hard work will pay off. At the same time, “we will continue to support those who are struggling most, ina fair and targeted way, without weakening the country’srecovery. The steady path we are taking in 2026 is laying thefoundation for stronger growth and better opportunities in the years ahead”.
