Consultations for the preparation of the maiden Chiefdom Development Plan for Gbinleh Chiefdom, Kambia District took place on Tuesday 15th September 2026 in the Chiefdom Headquarter town of Tawa.
In her keynote address, the Minister of Planning and Economic Development (MoPED), Madam Kenyeh Barlayencouraged the people to look at investment projects that would generate income and create job opportunities for youths and underscored the need for the chiefdom to generate funds locally.
She disclosed that government’s Mid-Term National Development Plan (MTNDP) and its Five Big Game Changers prioritizes food self-sufficiency through mechanized agriculture, fisheries, education, human capital development, Information and Communications Technology, creation of 500,000 jobs for youths nationwide among others asserting that the distribution of limited state resources nationwide is a major challenge, the more reason chiefdoms must explore all they can to generate resources locally.
According to the Minister, in line with His Excellency President Dr. Julius Maada Bio’s declaration of 2026 as the “Year of Action,” the Government is taking planning to the chiefdom level, ensuring that development begins at the local level where people live, that no community is left behind and continued that as the Ministry responsible for coordinating national development planning, it recognizes that sustainable development can only be achieved when communities are empowered to identify and drive their own prioritiesunderscoring that while Sierra Leone has long prepared National and District Development Plans, the new process fills a critical gap by institutionalizing structured planning at the chiefdom level.
Madam Kenyeh Barlay further articulated that the process has not just began but is the culmination of several months of preparation, recalled April this year, when MoPED engaged the Paramount Chief and representatives of the Chiefdom to identify development priorities and agree on the roadmap for preparing a Chiefdom Development Plan.
She urged stakeholders to bring onboard the consultations representatives from all sections of the Chiefdom, including Section Chiefs, Mammy Queens, youth representatives, service providers, sector institutions, the physically-challenged, the Local Council, Civil Society Organizations(CSOs), NGOs and the private sector asserting that this broad participation reflects MoPED’s commitment to ensuring that every voice counts.
“The ten-year Chiefdom Development Plan (2026–2035) for Gbinleh Chiefdom will provide a clear development roadmap, translating community priorities into practical, costed and projects with identified financing opportunities. The plan will also ensure that resources, including the Chiefdom Development Funds, are unlocked, invested transparently and strategically. Following these consultations, technical teams will consolidate the information gathered to prepare a draft plan, which will subsequently be validated by stakeholders,”she informed.
Madam Barlay further enlightened that this initiative aligns with Sierra Leone’s Medium-Term National Development Plan (2024–2030), the Sustainable Development Goals and African Union Agenda 2063 and encouraged all stakeholders to participate actively and openly so that together they can build inclusive, accountable and sustainable Chiefdom Development Plan and commended the district facilitators and MoPED Team for diligent work in ensuring the process goes on successfully.
The Minister further acknowledged the technical contributions of the Ministry of Local Government and Community Affairsand other stakeholders for their dedication and commitment to the process and also appealed to the data collectors to be committed to duty by ensuring that they do a credible job free from bias and sentiments putting into practice the skills they acquired during the training.
Paramount Chief Alhaji Alusine Alimamy Sorie Sankoh-Yillah II of Gbinleh Chiefdom revealed that his chiefdom is peaceful, border’s Guinea, conducts cross-border trade, is rich in agriculture with resilient people, is the third highest revenue generation chiefdom in the country through the National Revenue Authority and assured that the process would not be taken for granted.
Other stakeholders who made statements included the Director of Local Government and Community Affairs in the Ministry of Local Government and Community Affairs, Mr. Brima Combay, Mrs. Mbalu Kamara, Director of Rural Development, MoPED and the Kambia District Officer.
