The Parliamentary Committee on Defence and National Security, in collaboration with the African Union Commission, the European Union and the German Development Agency (GIZ), will host a three-day capacity-building workshop for Members of Parliament and parliamentary staff in Bo District from October 6 to 8, 2026.
The workshop, themed “Strengthening Parliamentary Oversight of the Defence, Security and Internal Affairs Sectors in Sierra Leone,” will bring together approximately 50 participants, including MPs, committee clerks and parliamentary leadership.
The training will target Members of Parliament and administrative staff of the Parliamentary Committees on Defence and National Security and Internal Affairs. It will focus on strengthening their capacity to scrutinise security-sector policies, programmes, budgets and institutions.
Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Defence and National Security, Hon. Alex Mattia Rogers, described the workshop as timely and important to democratic governance.
“Effective democratic governance of the security sector requires strong institutions capable of exercising oversight, ensuring accountability and safeguarding the rights and security of citizens,” Hon. Rogers said.
He said Parliament, as the representative institution of the people, has a constitutional and democratic responsibility to oversee the policies, institutions, budgets and activities of the defence, security and internal affairs sectors.
Hon. Rogers explained that parliamentary oversight involves the systematic review, monitoring and scrutiny of government policies, programmes, institutions and public expenditure to promote transparency, accountability, effectiveness and compliance with the law.
He noted that effective oversight is particularly important in the security sector because of the substantial public resources allocated to security institutions, the sensitive nature of national security information and the powers exercised by defence, intelligence, police, immigration, corrections and other security agencies.
According to him, Parliament exercises its oversight mandate through constitutional provisions, legislation, Standing Orders and the work of specialized committees.
He said the Committees on Defence and National Security and Internal Affairs therefore have a significant role in scrutinizing the policies, programmes, budgets and performance of Ministries, Departments and Agencies within their respective mandates.
The Chairman further noted that the changing security environment in West Africa has increased the need for informed and effective parliamentary oversight.
He cited emerging threats such as violent extremism, transnational organised crime, trafficking, cybercrime, misinformation, border insecurity and community-level insecurity.
“These require security institutions to operate effectively while remaining accountable to democratic institutions and respectful of human rights and the rule of law,” he said.
Hon. Rogers added that parliamentary committees need appropriate knowledge, analytical tools and institutional mechanisms to scrutinize security policies and budgets, engage security institutions, assess the implementation of national security priorities and ensure that security responses remain consistent with democratic principles.
The workshop follows a request by Hon. Rogers for support to strengthen the capacity of members and staff of the Parliamentary Committee on Defence and National Security.
The African Union Commission and the GIZ-EU Support to ECOWAS in Peace, Security and Governance (EPSG) Project are supporting the initiative.
The EPSG Project is co-funded by the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and jointly implemented by GIZ, Expertise France and the Fundación para la Internacionalización de las Administraciones Públicas (FIAP).
Hon. Rogers said the workshop would provide a practical and participatory platform for MPs and parliamentary support staff to deepen their understanding of security-sector governance, parliamentary oversight mechanisms, budget scrutiny, human rights and evidence-based parliamentary engagement.
He said the overall objective is to strengthen the institutional and individual capacity of MPs and administrative staff to exercise effective, informed and accountable oversight of the defence, security and internal affairs sectors in Sierra Leone.