The Sierra Leone Local Content Agency (SLLCA) on Tuesday, September 30th, 2025 held the third Quarterly Consultative Forum meeting, where it approved the Terms of Reference (ToR) for the three subcommittees which were created in the previous meeting, at the Agency’s Conference Hall in Freetown.
The meeting which was chaired by the Director General of the Agency, Mr. Fodeba Daboh brought together stakeholders from the Ministry of Technical and Higher Education (MTHE), Sierra Leone Immigration Department (SLID), Sierra Leone Union of Technicians (SLUTech), Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEDA), Ministry of Employment and Labour, Ministry of Economic Planning and Development, and National Investment Board (NIB), among others.
The third Consultative Forum quarterly meeting focused on discussing, reviewing, and adopting the Terms of Reference (ToRs) for the Project Pipeline committee, Local Capabilities Mapping committee, and Policy and Regulation Subcommittees, as well as outlining the Way Forward for their work.
In his opening remarks, the Director General of the Agency, Mr. Fodeba Daboh welcomed the forum members particularly those who are just attending the Forum meeting for the very first time.
He explained that Section 66(1) mandates the establishment of the Sierra Leone Local Content Consultative Forum to facilitate information sharing and collaboration on upcoming projects, local capabilities, and relevant policy proposals for Sierra Leonean content development.
He pointed out that the Forum is there to enhance collaboration among MDAs and the private sector, primarily to look into other MDAs when it comes to projects, local capacity development and other related policy proposals, adding that the Forum will help the Agency in the implementation of local content related issues.
He emphasized that local content prioritizes Sierra Leoneans, not just through job creation, but also by generating wealth for locals. He stressed that with many natural resources going offshore, now is the right time to involve indigenous Sierra Leoneans in the mineral sector and prioritize them for contracts.
In his presentation on the ToR for the three subcommittees, Local Content Monitoring Manager of the National Mineral Agency (NMA) doubling as the Chairman of the Sierra Leone Local Content Consultative Forum (SLLCCF), Saa Lawrence Karminty explained that the subcommittees are created because the Agency’s act cut across every sector, noting that this is a huge job and for the Agency to be able to cover all of these sectors, they need these three Project Pipeline committee, Local Capabilities Mapping committee, and Policy and Regulation Subcommittees.
He added that the Project Pipeline subcommittee will identify major projects that will come into the country and see how these contracts will incorporate local content clauses that will create jobs for Sierra Leoneans.
He said that the Local Capabilities Mapping committee will look at the various potentials that the country have, adding that this committee will map out all the relevant skills available in country so that they will be available to take technical jobs in companies.
He explained that the Policy and Regulation Subcommittees will be responsible to review the Agency’s act, identify areas of mismatch with other laws, identify areas of compliances, noting that members of this subcommittee will look at every institution and ensure their compliance with the Agency’s Act.
He said that when these subcommittees become operational, then the work of the agency becomes easier, adding that the Agency’s will only be collecting the data and analyzing it.
He disclosed that the subcommittees are expected to meet monthly.
He commends the Director General for operationalizing the Consultative Forum, noting that despite the Agency’s Act was enacted in 2016, but the implementation only stated in 2018 when President Bio was elected.
