AYV News, October 1, 2025
Sierra Leone’s Minister of Employment, Labour and Social Security, Hon. Mohamed Rahman Swaray, has said, “the ECOWAS Social Protection Framework and Operational Plan is not just another policy document; it is a roadmap to shield our people, especially the most vulnerable, from sliding into poverty”.
He emphasised Sierra Leone’s national commitment to social protection as a cornerstone of its development agenda.
Minister Swaray highlighted significant progress under President Julius Maada Bio’s leadership, citing major reforms that integrate social protection into governance and legal frameworks-Like revising the national social protection policy to include age-appropriate interventions in 2019, developing a shock-responsive social safety net strategy, factoring in resilience to climate change and other emergencies in 2020 and passing in the law the Social Protection Act, establishes a dedicated Social Protection Agency to mobilise resources, eliminate fragmentation, and enhance efficiency.
Minister Swaray said, “With support from partners including the World Bank, ILO, FAO, and UNICEF, Sierra Leone is now at an advanced stage of extending social protection to the informal sector, reducing vulnerability and building long-term resilience among our people.”
He underlined that the framework and operational plan are not temporary measures, but enduring instruments aligned with the ECOWAS Vision 2050, which envisions a community that guarantees a higher standard of living and human dignity for all.
“Investing in social protection is not merely about addressing today’s vulnerability,” he stated, adding; “It is about shaping the socioeconomic trajectory of West Africa for decades to come”.
