The Ministry of Sports has formally presented its Strategic Plan and Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) for the 2026–2028 fiscal years, urging the Ministry of Finance to allocate more resources to strengthen sports development nationwide.
During the presentation at the Ministry of Finance in Freetown, Director of Sports Haroun Koijie outlined the Ministry’s performance over 2024 and the first half of 2025. He acknowledged notable achievements, including Sierra Leone’s U-16 Male Basketball Team winning silver at the FIBA Africa Zone 2 Tournament in Senegal earlier this year, which earned them a place at the FIBA Nations Cup in Rwanda.
However, Koijie stressed that inadequate funding continues to undermine progress. “We are not a revenue-generating body. Our role is to coordinate and supervise sports through the National Sports Authority, but without the necessary resources, progress will always be delayed,” he said. He also cited logistical challenges, including the lack of official vehicles for senior staff, which hampers field supervision.
Sports Minister Augusta James-Teima appealed for NLe 8.28 million to scale up interventions, including the recruitment of 20 additional staff to improve monitoring and supervision. “Sports is not just recreation. It is a powerful tool for youth empowerment, national unity, and international recognition,” she told the gathering.
The Ministry’s strategic goals for the 2026–2028 period include enacting six new policies and regulations, recruiting and training 10 sports officers, expanding supervision of school and university sports, and monitoring sports funds across 22 local councils.
Despite proposing NLe 9.76 million for 2025, the Ministry received only NLe 5.5 million in approval, of which just NLe 1.89 million has been disbursed as of September 2025. Koijie warned that such shortfalls limit the Ministry’s ability to deliver on its mandate.
The appeal drew support from civil society groups, non-state actors, district budget oversight committees, and the media, who called on the Ministry of Finance to prioritize sports in the upcoming national budget.
