By Fatima Kpaka
Sierra Leone — October 26, 2025: A delegation of five Presidential Advisors, led by Professor Alpha Wurie, met with Deputy Mayor Kweku Lisk Esq and a cross-section of Freetown City Councilors on 15 October 2025 to discuss the evolving government proposal to restructure Freetown into three Borough Councils under a single Lord Mayor.
The meeting followed a public consultation held on 18 September 2025 by the Ministry of Local Government and Community Affairs, where initial plans for the administrative division of Freetown were presented. According to Prof. Wurie, the revised proposal aims to enhance service delivery by decentralizing governance through the creation of three Borough Councils, each headed by a Mayor elected from among the respective Councillors.
However, concerns were raised by Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, who argued that the proposed division could hinder rather than improve service delivery. She cited increased coordination challenges, loss of economies of scale, and the diversion of limited resources from essential services to administrative overheads as key drawbacks. The Mayor also referenced a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) document previously shared with the Presidential Advisors, which outlines similar concerns regarding both the Borough Council model and the initial proposal for three separate Local Councils.
Mayor Aki-Sawyerr emphasized that government policy should be guided by data and analysis. She pointed to the World Bank’s 2018 “Freetown Urban Sector Review: Options for Growth and Resilience,” which offered evidence-based recommendations for addressing the city’s challenges. These included reforming land use, strengthening city finances, and clarifying planning mandates—all of which, she argued, are better served through empowered central urban management rather than fragmentation.
The Mayor noted that Freetown City Council has already made strides in strengthening city finances through the digitization of property rate and business license systems introduced in 2020. She called for greater collaboration with the Central Government to implement the remaining recommendations from the World Bank study.
Public sentiment also appears to be at odds with the proposed restructuring. A recent survey conducted by the Institute for Governance Reform (IGR) revealed that only 32% of Freetown residents were aware of the government’s plan, and among those, 62% opposed the idea of dividing the city into multiple municipal units.
Mayor Aki-Sawyerr concluded by urging the government to heed the voices of Freetonians and adopt policies rooted in robust research and analysis. She advocated for effective decentralization and the resourced devolution of urban management functions to Freetown City Council, rather than fragmenting the city’s governance structure.
The proposal to divide Freetown into multiple administrative units has sparked debate among policymakers, civil society, and residents. Historically, Freetown has operated under a single municipal authority, the Freetown City Council, which oversees urban planning, sanitation, licensing, and other civic services.
The Ministry of Local Government and Community Affairs argues that decentralization through Borough Councils could bring governance closer to communities and improve responsiveness. However, critics warn that such fragmentation may complicate coordination, dilute accountability, and strain limited financial resources.
The World Bank’s 2018 Urban Sector Review remains a key reference point in the debate, offering a comprehensive analysis of Freetown’s urban challenges and recommending centralized reforms to enhance resilience and growth. The current proposal appears to diverge from these recommendations, prompting calls for a reassessment of its feasibility and impact.