New NASSIT Board Chair, Trustee Sworn in As Labour Minister Urges Informal sector Reform
The Minister of Labour, Employment and Social Security, Mohamed Rahman Swarray, has called on the new Board Chairperson and the Management of the National Social Security and Insurance Trust to expedite the implementation of the Sierra Leone Informal Sector Pension Scheme so as to extend social security coverage to members in the informal sector.
He made this clarion call during the swearing-in ceremony of the newly appointed Chairperson of the NASSIT Board and two new Trustees on Tuesday, March 17, 2026 at NASSIT House in Freetown.
Welcoming the new Chairperson, Minister Swarray expressed gratitude to His Excellency Retired Brigadier Julius Maada Bio for his wisdom in appointing what he described as “an elegant and highly seasoned administrator and financial expert” to lead in the supervision of the Trust. He described her arrival as timely, given NASSIT’s current trajectory of reviewing its Act, expanding Social Security coverage to the Informal Sector, and its strides in improving service delivery and maximizing the Trust’s investment portfolio.
The Minister reiterated the critical role of the Board of Trustees in enhancing the sustainability of the Scheme and the country’s overall development.
“You are the guardians of our national pension scheme, with a fiduciary duty to safeguard members and their dependants during events like old age, invalidity, and death,” he emphasised, and commended the Trustees, the Director General and his Management for their steadfast performance in ensuring that workers could retire with dignity after years of service. Hon. Swarray acknowledged the transformational strides of the Fuaad Daboh-led administration, describing the commissioning of new district office in Moyamba, the implementation of an effective service delivery mechanism, and the recent 10% increment on all categories of pensions as a step in the right direction.
Concluding, the Honourable Minister called on the new Chairperson of the Board of Trustees and Management to expedite the extension of coverage to the Informal Sector, describing the sector as the “Silent Engine” of the economy that comprised nearly eighty percent of the population, including traders, fishermen, artisans, and bike riders.
He reminded the audience that the President had made several public commitments with respect to the implementation of the Informal Pension Scheme, intimating that the fulfillment of this commitment was very dear to the President. He called for a strong working relationship between the Ministry and the Board, stating, “We should work together to improve the dignity and welfare of Sierra Leonean workers”.
Congratulating the New Chairperson, the Director General, Mohamed Fuaad Daboh, expressed his delight in her appointment, saying that her leadership came at a “pivotal moment” as NASSIT continued its trajectory of expansion, service delivery and coverage, referencing her wealth of experience as an asset to the Trust.
Mr. Daboh stressed the importance of a strong working relationship between the Trust’s management and the Board of Trustees to achieve institutional goals.
Updating the new Chairperson, the Director General stated that the Trust was at a transformative stage, particularly with the review of the NASSIT Act, the transformation of the ICT Infrastructure, the improvement in accessibility to service delivery, and the progress made with the Informal Sector Pension Scheme, stressing that the institution’s strength lay in its core values of respect transparency, excellence and accountability.
He appealed for continued public and stakeholder support to maintain the momentum, and reaffirmed NASSIT’s commitment to the Government’s agenda, particularly focusing on workers’ welfare, dignified retirement, and the implementation of the new Scheme that would appeal to the Informal Sector. He assured the Chairperson that the Trust was in a formidable position, and expressed confidence that the new Chairperson’s leadership would further strengthen the institution’s strategic direction.
In her response, Chairperson, Madam Isata Marrah, expressed immense gratitude to the President for the confidence reposed in her and the warm reception from the Minister, the Trustees and the Director General. She lauded the capacity of the current Board and Management for the institution’s current strength and stability, and described social security as the bedrock of society, while expressing enthusiasm for joining the institution at such a pivotal time.
She pledged a collaborative approach to her new role, stating her commitment to working with all stakeholders to further enhance NASSIT’s mandate.
She affirmed her dedication to ensuring that NASSIT remained a reliable lifeline for all contributors, and pledged her full support for the Ministry’s call to expedite the expansion of coverage to the informal sector. She promised to utilize her experience with the team, bringing a new zest to the Scheme.
NASSIT, we care!
