By: Mohamed Sahr
In a bid to strengthen awareness and advocacy on environmental protection, Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary, with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Government of Sierra Leone, held a stakeholder consultation workshop on Wednesday, 17th September 2025. The event took place at the Ministry of Environment and focused on the development of comprehensive communication strategies under the Western Area Peninsula (WAP) Project.
Nathaniel Lahai, the WAP Project Focal Person at Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary, highlighted that the initiative targets eight communities across Freetown. The primary goal of the communication strategy, he said, is to enhance public awareness and advocacy mechanisms to address ongoing environmental threats.
“Through UNDP, Tacugama has engaged several stakeholders to draft and develop effective communication strategies,” Lahai stated. “We are here to put our heads together to come up with a comprehensive and inclusive plan.”
He further explained that the strategy, which spans the 2024–2025 project timeline, will serve as a guiding framework for environmental advocacy efforts. A dedicated communications team has been established to lead the initiative.
The draft strategy includes key components such as core messages, communication channels, and target audiences. Lahai emphasized that the strategy aims to increase public understanding of threats like deforestation, illegal logging, poaching, sand mining, and unregulated settlements issues that contribute to biodiversity loss and the extinction of wildlife, particularly within the Freetown Peninsula catchment.
Also speaking at the event, Andrew Katta, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer for the WAP Project, noted that while the environment continues to face numerous challenges, the newly developed communication strategy offers a timely and effective solution.
“The goal is to create strong awareness and advocacy through various channels and messaging platforms,” Katta said. “We believe that with this strategy in place, many of the environmental threats will be drastically reduced.”
Katta also underscored the importance of the strategy’s components in facilitating the effective dissemination of information.
The workshop concluded with open discussions and diverse contributions from stakeholders aimed at refining the strategy to ensure it is inclusive, sustainable, and impactful.