By Sahrfoa Matturie
Makeni, Sierra Leone – The Ministry of Information and Civic Education (MoICE) has announced that the Annual National Presidential Town Hall will be held in Makeni this June, marking another step in the government’s effort to deepen citizen engagement and bring governance closer to the people.
The announcement was made by the Minister of Information and Civic Education, Chernor Bah, during the Ministry’s first Annual Staff Retreat held on Bonthe Island. According to the Minister, the Presidential Town Hall is designed to provide a direct and open platform for citizens to interact with the Presidency, raise concerns, ask questions, and receive firsthand responses on national policies and development priorities.
Since its introduction, the Presidential Town Hall has grown into one of the government’s flagship civic engagement initiatives. The inaugural edition, held in Freetown in 2024, set the tone for open governance, with President Dr Julius Maada Bio personally engaging citizens and responding directly to their questions. The initiative was widely praised for promoting transparency and accountability at the highest level of government.
The 2025 edition, hosted in Kenema, further expanded the scope of engagement. More than 25 Cabinet Ministers participated in the event, collectively addressing over 50 questions from citizens on key national issues, including governance reforms, economic management, social services, and infrastructure development. The Kenema Town Hall reinforced the government’s commitment to collective responsibility and inclusive dialogue.
This year’s Town Hall in Makeni is expected to build on these successes by expanding citizen participation, particularly for residents of the Northern Region. The choice of Makeni reflects the government’s policy of decentralization and regional inclusion, ensuring that all parts of the country have equal opportunities to engage directly with national leadership.
Minister Bah emphasized that the Town Hall initiative is a clear demonstration of the government’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and participatory governance. He noted that meaningful development can only be achieved when citizens are actively involved in decision-making processes and when government remains open to public scrutiny.
Beyond the Presidential Town Hall, the Minister also confirmed the continuation of the Civic Day Series across the remaining districts, as well as in the diaspora. These engagements, he said, are aimed at strengthening civic awareness, promoting national unity, and ensuring citizens understand government policies and their roles in national development.
In addition, the National Civic Festival has been scheduled for December, with further details to be announced in due course. Minister Bah reiterated that all these initiatives align with President Bio’s declared Year of Action, which prioritizes results-driven governance and active citizen participation.
He concluded by stressing that MoICE remains committed to ensuring citizens are informed, empowered, and meaningfully engaged in shaping Sierra Leone’s development trajectory.
