By Hassan Osman Kargbo
The long-delayed ECOWAS Logistics Depot in Sierra Leone is once again under scrutiny as a high-level delegation from the ECOWAS Performance Audit Office concluded its assessment of the facility. Led by Francis Kotobridja, the Director of Programs Performance Audit, the delegation met with Sierra Leone’s Minister of Planning and Economic Development, Madam Kenyeh Barlay, to discuss the depot’s prolonged stagnation and the urgent need for action.
The ECOWAS Logistics Depot, a project initially envisioned over two decades ago to serve as a regional hub for emergency and humanitarian responses, has remained largely unfinished. Despite significant investments of time and resources, the depot has yet to be equipped and fully operationalized.
During the meeting at Minister Barlay’s office in Freetown, both sides acknowledged the pressing need for the regional body to take decisive steps toward completing the project.
Barlay did not mince words when addressing the delay. Frustrated by the facility’s stagnant state, she emphasized that the depot’s completion had been deferred for far too long and called on ECOWAS to step up and ensure the project was not left in limbo any longer.
“For 20 years, we’ve waited for this depot,” Barlay lamented. “This is not just about presenting a nice building; it’s about making it functional. Right now, it’s just an empty shell, with no furniture, no equipment, and no logistics in place. ECOWAS has to act now and stop waiting for the ‘perfect’ conditions to be in place.”
The minister’s remarks underscored a recurring theme: the dependence on delayed Chinese-donated equipment had been cited as a key reason for the hold-up. According to Barlay, the continued waiting for external contributions is hindering progress. “If we continue to wait for everything to be perfect, this project will remain stuck indefinitely,” she asserted. “ECOWAS must consider procuring essential items locally and move ahead with commissioning the depot.”
Echoing the minister’s concerns, ECOWAS Performance Audit Director, Francis Kotobridja, acknowledged the validity of her frustrations and assured that the matter would be taken directly to the ECOWAS Council of Ministers, also emphasizing that the project had become emblematic of a larger issue—an inability to move beyond bureaucratic delays and governance hurdles.
“Like a download that never completes due to bad internet,” Kotobridja said, “this project has dragged on for far too long. Our objective is to unblock the process and provide clear recommendations that will finally allow this depot to become operational.”
Kotobridja’s assessment was not limited to the physical infrastructure of the depot. He raised concerns about the governance framework of the facility, asking if proper administrative structures and personnel were in place to ensure its smooth operation.
He stressed that commissioning the depot should not be held hostage by waiting for the full set of equipment but rather focus on making the depot function immediately with available resources.
Usman Conteh, Deputy Development Secretary in Sierra Leone, also voiced strong support for the audit process.
He welcomed the role of auditors in bringing transparency and accountability to regional projects, noting that ECOWAS’s 50-year legacy, particularly in promoting peace and security across West Africa, should not be marred by the failure to complete vital infrastructure like the logistics depot.
“We are pleased to see auditors engaged in the process. They help ensure that governance structures are in place, and that projects are carried out with integrity,” Conteh said. “ECOWAS must now take bold action and ensure this depot is brought to fruition.”
The Sierra Leone government remains committed to supporting ECOWAS in completing the logistics depot. Minister Barlay reiterated Sierra Leone’s willingness to hand over the facility once it is ready, but emphasized that it was now up to ECOWAS to ensure the depot was not just a building but a functioning asset for regional humanitarian efforts.
“If we do not act now, we risk waiting another 20 years,” Barlay concluded, as the audit team prepared to finalize their report and present their findings to the Council of Ministers. The report is expected to address the ongoing challenges, outline potential solutions, and set a clear roadmap for the future of the depot.
As ECOWAS moves forward, the completion of the logistics depot remains a critical issue for both Sierra Leone and the broader West African region.
The outcome of the assessment could determine whether the project is finally brought to fruition, or if another generation will be left waiting for a facility that has been long promised but never fully delivered.
