By Sallieu S. Kanu
December 12, 2025: Sierra Leone’s Minister of Employment, Labour and Social Security, Mohamed Rahman Swaray, has announced a significant increase in the national minimum wage from NLe 800 to NLe 1,200, effective April 2026. The announcement was made during the three-day Salone Civic Festival, organized by the Ministry of Information and Civic Education.
Minister Swaray explained that the decision followed months of nationwide consultations with employers and social partners, in line with President Dr. Julius Maada Bio’s recognition that the current wage no longer reflects prevailing economic realities.
Expanding Social Protection
Beyond the wage adjustment, the Minister unveiled plans to extend social protection to Sierra Leone’s informal sector through the National Social Security and Insurance Trust (NASSIT). Currently, NASSIT covers only the formal sector, which represents about 9 percent of the population, leaving the majority of citizens without structured social security.
The informal economy—employing nearly 70 percent of Sierra Leoneans, including traders, bike riders, fishermen, tailors, and market women—has now been prioritized under a new policy direction aimed at inclusive protection.
Legal Framework in Progress
Minister Swaray disclosed that a draft legal framework to integrate informal sector workers into NASSIT has been prepared by the Law Officers’ Department and will be presented to Parliament in the first quarter of 2026. Once enacted, registered informal workers will qualify for retirement pensions, survivors’ benefits, and other social security protections.
Government’s Commitment
The combined minimum wage increase and proposed NASSIT expansion, Swaray said, reflect the government’s commitment to a people-centered labour agenda that safeguards workers’ incomes today while securing their futures tomorrow.