By: Audrey Raymonda John
Enhancing safety for coastal communities, the Sierra Leone Maritime Administration (SLMA) launched a nationwide distribution campaign of 2,500 life jackets at a formal ceremony held at Maritime House, Government Wharf, Freetown on Thursday, July 24, 2025. The initiative aims to improve maritime safety, especially for coastal and riverine communities.
In his welcome address, Deputy Executive Director Emmanuel B.A. Lansana thanked dignitaries and community members for attending the event. He emphasized the administration’s supportive, not punitive, role in enhancing maritime safety.
“We are not regulators who come to punish; we are here to support and ensure safety at sea, contributing to national food security,” he said.
Mr. Lansana acknowledged the risks secvian (water users, including fishermen and boat operators) face, noting the administration’s commitment to providing safety equipment and improving the wellbeing of those who rely on maritime transport.
SLMA Executive Director Dr. Daniel B. Kaitibi shared ongoing efforts to strengthen maritime governance, including engagements with the British High Commission, the German Embassy, and the Arab Academy. He revealed discussions for scholarship programs to train maritime workers and announced invitations from Saudi Arabia for collaboration on maritime security.
Dr. Kaitibi added that a key convention from 1961, currently under parliamentary review, could significantly improve maritime regulations.
“When there is a law, people respect it. We’re committed to continuing progress in SLMA’s development,” he stated.
Rev. Edward Kwame Yankson, Senior Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Transport and Aviation, officially launched the campaign. He described the event as an honor and his first external function in his new role.
“This initiative reaffirms our commitment to maritime safety and the protection of lives. Most maritime accidents are preventable, and many casualties result from the absence or non-use of life-saving equipment,” he noted.
He praised SLMA for promoting a culture of safety and stressed that this distribution is part of a broader national strategy aligned with international maritime safety standards.
Rev. Yankson announced that the life jackets would be strategically distributed to high-risk coastal and riverine areas based on passenger density and vessel traffic. He reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to improving maritime infrastructure and response capacity for search and rescue missions.
Paramount Chief Bashera Lain II, Chairman of the Sierra Leone United Boat Owners Association, commended SLMA for its continued partnership and commitment to safety.
“SLMA has trained and supervised over 1,000 Sierra Leoneans, significantly improving inland and coastal maritime transport,” he said, pledging that the life jackets would be well-managed.
Mohamed B. Bangura, Director of Provincial Border Affairs at the Office of National Security (ONS), also praised SLMA for its swift responses to distress calls and emphasized the life jackets should be used solely for saving lives not for personal or alternative use.
Madam Bintu Myers, Chairperson of the SLMA Board, shared that the idea for this campaign came after the Board’s field visit to southern maritime stations in April 2025. She highlighted that officers had reported a severe shortage of life jackets.
“This was a major concern in our report. Today, we are pleased to see that management has acted swiftly with the distribution of 2,500 life jackets, especially during the peak of the rainy season,” she said.
She urged the Director of Maritime Safety and Security to ensure proper monitoring of the distribution process.
This campaign underscores SLMA’s commitment to building a safer maritime environment and demonstrates a significant step toward reducing casualties on Sierra Leone’s waterways. All stakeholders including government agencies, community leaders, and the private sector were called upon to support this lifesaving initiative.
“As a government, we value every life on the water. Wearing a life jacket is not a weakness it is a strength,” Rev. Yankson concluded.