Freetown, 13th May 2026 — The Government of Sierra Leone, through the National Public Procurement Authority (NPPA), in collaboration with the World Bank and the African Development Bank, today participated in the virtual launch of the Methodology for Assessing Procurement Systems (MAPS) Assessment Report at the World Bank Office in Freetown.
The engagement brought together senior government officials, development partners, procurement specialists and reform stakeholders to review the findings of the comprehensive assessment and discuss strategic pathways for strengthening Sierra Leone’s public procurement system.
During the presentation session, MAPS Consultants Mr. Simeon Sahaydache (Esq.) and Mr. Naushad Khan presented key findings across the various procurement pillars, highlighting progress made in the sector while also identifying implementation gaps relating to procurement planning, data management, contract administration, payments, professionalization, appeals systems, audit follow-up mechanisms and integrity controls.
The consultants emphasized that while Sierra Leone possesses a strong legal foundation for public procurement, implementation gaps still exist across planning, market participation, contract management and integrity systems. They further stressed the need for a coordinated and measurable reform programme supported by stronger political leadership, institutional coordination, sustainable financing and stakeholder engagement.
The assessment also proposed a comprehensive reform architecture focusing on legal and regulatory modernization, stronger procurement planning and public financial management linkage, digital procurement and open contracting systems, contract management and payment discipline, integrity and audit mechanisms, professionalization of procurement practice, market development and supplier capacity strengthening.
Delivering remarks at the event, the Financial Secretary in the Ministry of Finance, Mr. Matthew Dingie, expressed appreciation to the World Bank and the African Development Bank for their continued support to procurement reforms in Sierra Leone. He commended the consultants for what he described as a detailed and impactful report capable of guiding meaningful reforms within the sector.
Mr. Dingie underscored the critical importance of procurement to national development, noting that more than half of Government’s revenue expenditure is channeled through procurement processes. He highlighted existing gaps between procurement plans and approved budgets, emphasizing that procurement implementation must be properly aligned with budget execution and fiscal discipline.
He further pointed to challenges surrounding ineligible expenditures within donor-funded projects, which in some cases result in the refund of funds to development partners. According to him, Government remains committed to sanitizing the procurement landscape and strengthening guidance to Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) on the effective implementation of donor-supported projects.
The Financial Secretary also noted that both the MAPS Assessment and the ongoing review of the Public Procurement Act constitute important Development Policy Operation (DPO) triggers and assured stakeholders of Government’s unwavering support to the NPPA in ensuring that the revised procurement legislation adequately captures the recommendations emerging from the assessment.
Speaking during the launch, the World Bank Country Manager for Sierra Leone, Abdu Muwonge, congratulated the NPPA and all stakeholders involved in the MAPS process. He emphasized that the MAPS initiative forms part of broader budget support operations and reform priorities under Government’s public financial management agenda.
Mr. Muwonge stated that the analytical work undertaken through MAPS would significantly support ongoing procurement reforms and legislative improvements. He referenced the Electronic Government Procurement (E-GP) system as one of the major investment interventions under the Accountable Governance for Basic service Delivery Service Delivery Programme (AGBSD), noting that it took more than two years of collaborative effort to operationalize the platform.
He expressed satisfaction with the progress being made on the implementation of the E-GP system and disclosed that its operationalization would form part of the next phase under the Programme-for-Results framework. He further stressed that incentives would continue to be tied to measurable reform outcomes.
The World Bank Country Manager also acknowledged that procurement remains one of the institution’s major implementation concerns globally and warned against cases of mis-procurement and misuse of donor resources. He therefore, called for stronger transparency, accountability and inclusiveness in the reform process, particularly through the active participation of Civil Society Organizations and anti-corruption institutions.
An additional presentation during the virtual launch highlighted the critical role of the World Bank in supporting the implementation of the MAPS recommendations and broader procurement reforms in Sierra Leone.
The presentation outlined the World Bank’s strategic interventions in four key areas, including support for the Electronic Government Procurement (E-GP) system under the Accountable Governance Project, legal and regulatory reform support, Development Policy Operations (DPO), and Results-Based Financing under the Programme-for-Results framework.
On the E-GP intervention, it was disclosed that the server-side infrastructure for the system is nearing completion, while User Acceptance Testing (UAT) for six modules has already been completed. Integration with the Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS) and other government platforms is also underway as part of efforts to ensure interoperability and effective digital governance.
Regarding legal and regulatory reforms, the presentation noted that consultants have already been engaged to support the review of the Public Procurement Act and Regulations, with draft legislative instruments currently undergoing internal government review and stakeholder consultation.
The World Bank further highlighted procurement-related prior actions under the three-year Development Policy Operations (DPO), particularly focusing on the revision of the procurement legislation and operationalization of the E-GP system.
Additionally, the presentation emphasized that the upcoming Results-Based Financing pipeline under the Programme-for-Results framework will include Disbursement Linked Indicators (DLIs) tied to the extent of E-GP usage by procuring entities, with implementation monitoring expected over a five-year period.
The presentation reinforced the strong collaboration between Government, NPPA and development partners in driving procurement modernization, digital transformation and accountability reforms in Sierra Leone.
In his statement, NPPA Chief Executive Officer Mr. Fodie J. Konneh thanked all partners and stakeholders who contributed to the successful completion of the MAPS Assessment process. He reaffirmed NPPA’s commitment to strengthening Sierra Leone’s procurement system through the development of a comprehensive and forward-looking public procurement law capable of responding to emerging governance and digital transformation demands.
The NPPA CEO subsequently invited the Director of Capacity Building, Mr. Allieu M. Moigboi, to present the proposed way forward and reform roadmap emerging from the MAPS Assessment findings.
Mr. Moigboi’s presentation highlighted key reform priorities, including legal and regulatory modernization, stronger procurement planning and public financial management linkage, expansion of electronic government procurement and open contracting systems, contract management and payment discipline, integrity and audit mechanisms, professionalization of procurement practice, market development and supplier capacity strengthening.
In her closing remarks on behalf of the World Bank Procurement Team, Mrs. Nazaneen Ismail Ali expressed appreciation to the National Public Procurement Authority (NPPA) for its leadership throughout the MAPS assessment process and commended the African Development Bank for its collaboration and partnership.
She acknowledged the invaluable contributions of stakeholders across Government institutions, development partners, civil society and the procurement community, noting that without their active participation, the assessment process would have been significantly more difficult.
Mrs. Ali emphasized that the MAPS Assessment has now provided Sierra Leone with a clear and practical roadmap for procurement sector reforms and assured stakeholders that the World Bank remains fully committed to supporting the Government of Sierra Leone and the NPPA in building a more efficient, transparent and accountable framework for public expenditure management.
She further described the Electronic Government Procurement (E-GP) system as a flagship reform initiative capable of significantly enhancing transparency, increasing competition and creating broader opportunities for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to participate in public procurement processes.
According to her, the World Bank will continue supporting procurement professionalization and capacity development initiatives aimed at strengthening the procurement cadre, promoting value for money and advancing sustainable national development.
Also speaking during the closing session, Mr. Clement Alosi reaffirmed the African Development Bank’s commitment to supporting Sierra Leone’s public procurement reform agenda and pledged the institution’s continued collaboration with Government and the NPPA in implementing the recommendations emerging from the MAPS Assessment process.
The launch marks another important milestone in Sierra Leone’s public procurement reform journey and reinforces Government’s commitment to promoting transparency, accountability, efficiency and value for money in the management of public resources.
For more on this and any other issues relating to the NPPA, please contact us on: info@nppa.gov.sl
