Freetown, Sierra Leone — July 29, 2025: The Freetown City Council (FCC) has announced a sweeping Central Business District (CBD) Regeneration and Beautification Project aimed at restoring civic order, enhancing sanitation, and rejuvenating the visual appeal of Sierra Leone’s capital.
Unveiled during a press briefing hosted by Minister of Information and Civic Education, Chernor Bah, at the Miatta Conference Center, the initiative marks a major step in aligning local governance with national urban development priorities.
Madam Koma Hassan-Kamara, FCC’s Information, Education, and Communication Officer, described the project as long overdue, highlighting years of advocacy around beautification, regulated parking, and street trading reforms.
“With the central government now fully backing this initiative, we’re positioned to make real progress,” she stated.
Early efforts have targeted the decongestion of Cotton Tree—a historic site that had become hazardous due to informal trading and overcrowding. Madam Kamara emphasized that unchecked street vending in unauthorized zones remains a pressing issue, exacerbated by rural-urban migration and a lack of regulation for okada riders and traders.
The Council is set to enforce designated trading zones with the help of the Traders’ Council and other agencies. A new 2025 Sanitation Bylaw introduces regulations to prevent illegal dumping of building materials, which have historically blocked roads and disrupted traffic across Freetown.
“We’ve seen far too many cases of gravel and sand dumped on public roads—east, west, and central. That stops now,” Kamara vowed.
At the heart of the transformation lies FCC’s “C2CC” initiative—Central to Clean and Controlled—which seeks to reimagine the CBD as a space of structure, safety, and civic beauty. Key elements include: Installation of modern streetlights, restoration of green spaces, creation of regulated parking areas and enforcement of sanitation rules and no-trading zones.
Implementation will be spearheaded in coordination with national bodies including the Sierra Leone Roads Authority (SLRA) and the Sierra Leone Road Safety Authority (SLRSA).
Kamara stressed that the project’s scope should extend beyond the CBD to tackle city-wide urban disorder and lawlessness. She advocated for greater devolution of authority from the central government to empower the Council in managing Freetown more effectively.
“Nobody wants to visit or invest in a city that’s unsafe or unregulated,” she declared. “This is about restoring discipline, creating beauty, and building the foundation for sustainable growth.”
As the FCC embarks on its bold urban reform, residents, stakeholders, and national institutions are being called upon to support a shared vision for a cleaner, safer, and more dignified capital city.
Source: Sierra Leone Telegraph