Guild of Editors – Sierra Leone Strengthens Partnership with Ports and Harbours Authority
The Executive of the Guild of Newspaper Editors – Sierra Leone (GoNE-SL) has paid a courtesy visit to the Sierra Leone Ports and Harbours Authority (SLPHA) as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen collaboration between the media and the ports sector.
The delegation, led by Guild Chairman Thomas Dixon, met with SLPHA Director General Yankuba A. Bio at the Water Quay in Freetown.
In his remarks, Chairman Dixon commended the existing partnership with the Authority and highlighted the importance of sustained engagement to advance media development. He outlined the Guild’s short-term plans to design a three-year strategic roadmap and establish a permanent secretariat. In the long term, he said, the Guild aspires to acquire a cost-recovery printing press—an initiative aimed at reducing media poverty and boosting efficiency in the sector.
Dixon also reaffirmed GoNE-SL’s commitment to responsible journalism and self-regulation, stressing that adherence to media ethics and professionalism remains a core priority.
Responding, DG Bio welcomed the Guild Executive and expressed appreciation for the role of the media in ensuring accountability. He disclosed that the SLPHA is currently partnering with 15 media outlets and has provided training to enhance journalists’ understanding of port operations.
He further encouraged the Guild to develop a formal budget to support its proposed programmes, noting that the Authority would consider contributing.
Sharing a brief background, Bio recalled that the Ports Authority was established in 1964 and now functions as both landlord and regulator following the concession of the Queen Elizabeth II Quay to Bolloré Africa Logistics and the Sierra Leone Ports Management Consortium.
He concluded by announcing that Sierra Leone’s port has recently been rated the best in the sub-region.
