By Hassan Osman Kargbo
In a landmark move to extend pension benefits to members of the private sector, particularly legal professionals, the National Social Security and Insurance Trust (NASSIT) and the Sierra Leone Bar Association jointly hosted a one-day seminar on 29 July 2025 at the Bintumani Conference Center in Freetown.
The event brought together legal practitioners, NASSIT officials, and key stakeholders to explore ways of integrating private legal professionals into the national pension scheme.
The seminar aimed to address long-standing concerns that private sector workers, especially lawyers, often retire after years of service without access to pension benefits. 
The initiative was widely welcomed as a step in the right direction towards social protection and professional welfare in Sierra Leone.
Chairing the seminar, Mr. Edwin Mohamed Kamara commended both the President of the Sierra Leone Bar Association, Madam Tuma Jento Kamara; and the Director General of NASSIT, Mr. Fuaad Daboh, for their commitment to ensuring that legal professionals are no longer left behind when it comes to social security.
“For far too long,” Mr. Kamara said, “many professionals in the private sector, after years of dedicated service, retire without any form of financial support or pension. 
This collaboration is a bold step that will bear positive fruits—not only for legal minds but for other sectors of the public who have long needed this support.”
He emphasized the importance of the seminar as a platform for engagement, enabling lawyers to fully understand the benefits of being enrolled in NASSIT. Mr. Kamara expressed optimism that such ans effort would lead to widespread policy adoption for other private sector professions and thanked the president of the Bar Association for making the seminar a success.
In her remarks, Madam Tuma Adama Gento Kamara, president of the Bar Association, expressed deep concern over the plight of retired lawyers in Sierra Leone. She lamented that too many legal practitioners end their careers in financial distress, despite years of selfless service to the country’s legal system.
“We’ve seen countless lawyers retire with nothing to show for their sacrifices,” she said. “This must end. We have a duty to ensure that members of our noble profession are protected, supported, and respected—not just while in active service, but also in retirement.”
Madam Kamara expressed appreciation to NASSIT for recognizing the need to include legal professionals in their pension structure and called on all lawyers to embrace the initiative. She affirmed the Bar Association’s full commitment to supporting the process going forward.
Speaking on behalf of NASSIT, Director General Fuaad Daboh welcomed participants and stressed the strategic importance of the event. He noted that NASSIT has been working diligently to expand coverage beyond the public sector and that incorporating private legal professionals is a significant milestone in that effort.
“Our goal is to ensure that all Sierra Leoneans, regardless of where they work, have access to pension benefits that secure their dignity in retirement,” Mr. Daboh said. “Lawyers play a vital role in the development of this country, and it is only right that they are included in our national social protection system.”
The seminar concluded with a shared commitment to continue the dialogue and finalize modalities for the full inclusion of legal practitioners into the NASSIT pension scheme. Participants left the event hopeful that the collaboration would pave the way for broader pension reforms across Sierra Leone’s private sector.
