UBA Sierra Leone MD Mohamed Samoura Thrills Audience
The Managing Director of the Untied Bank for Africa Sierra Leone, Mr. Mohamed Samoura has thrilled his audience through a powerful speech he delivered at Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in Makeni, northern region of Sierra Leone, over the weekend. The theme for the event was: ‘’Strengthening Sierra Leone’s Economy Through Responsible Journalism”.
In his keynote statement, Mr. Mohamed Samoura said he was profoundly honored to stand before the august gathering to deliver a special address for the 2026 SLAJ’s Annual General Meeting to speak on the theme: “Strengthening Sierra Leone’s Economy Through Responsible Journalism,” which he wholeheartedly accepted without a moment’s hesitation.
He added that he accepted because this topic sits at the very intersection of his daily reality: where the numbers of economic growth meet the narratives that shape public trust.
He said he is a son of the media where many journalists present at the AGM worked with, or were mentored by his father, Mr. Mohamed Samoura. ‘’He was not just a media consumer; he was one of the foundational pillars of media regulation in this country, serving as one of the pioneer founding fathers of the Sierra Leone News Agency (SLENA) and served as a Commissioner at the Independent Media Commission. His entire life was a testament to the ideals of media freedom, unyielding professionalism, and the sacred duty of responsible journalism,’’ Mohamed Samoura stated.
He continued: ‘’Growing up under his roof, media discussions were not distant headlines; they were our daily bread. The smell of fresh newsprint, the crackle of current affairs on the radio, and the fierce debates on governance and national development shaped my childhood. As a young student, I watched how words could move nations, how a single well-researched article could protect the vulnerable, and how ethical reporting could build a society. It was therefore no coincidence that after graduating from the university my first job was as a journalist with Standard Times with the late Philip Neville of blessed memory.’’
He UBA-SL MD maintained that the media is not just an industry he respects from the air-conditioned boardrooms of a bank; it is an indelible part of my family DNA.
He said when he was appointed Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of UBA Sierra Leone, his deliberate, intentional focus on supporting media initiatives was not a corporate gimmick or a mere PR exercise but it was a duty. ‘’I know firsthand that a society cannot prosper economically if its storytelling fraternity is broken,’’ he noted.
He said they are meeting at a unique moment in human history where the world is defined by rapid, disruptive global change where the traditional gatekeepers of information are facing an existential crisis.
‘’In this volatile global landscape, responsible journalism is no longer just a moral choice; it is an economic necessity. It is the ultimate currency of trust,’’ he said.
Mohamed pointed out that every thriving economy is built on a tripod of three interlocking pillars: Trust, Transparency, and Accountability, adding that capital is notoriously cowardly; it goes only where it feels safe and where the rules of the game are clear. ‘’When responsible journalists report accurately, they de-risk the economy. They provide investors, development partners, and local entrepreneurs with the predictable, credible data required to make high-stakes financial decisions.’’ the UBA SL MD stated.
‘’The lesson for us is clear: A country’s image is its most valuable economic asset. The stories we tell about ourselves matter. How Sierra Leone is portrayed on the airwaves of Freetown, the provinces, and across digital networks directly impacts the interest rates we pay, the tourists we attract, and the local businesses that can successfully scale,’’ Samoura said.
‘’Let me be unequivocally clear: Responsible journalism is not public relations. I am not standing here as a CEO asking you to paint a false, utopian picture of our country. Responsible journalism does not mean covering up macroeconomic challenges, ignoring inflation, or sweeping corruption under the carpet. To do so would be a betrayal of your calling. Rather, responsible journalism is about constructive context. It means reporting on the challenge, but with equal rigor, reporting on the structural solutions. It means moving away from the lazy editorial mantra of “if it bleeds, it leads” toward Development-Driven Journalism. As members of the Fourth Estate, you possess an awesome power: the power of agenda-setting. You decide what the nation talks about at the breakfast table, what parliament debates, and what citizens prioritize. If your headlines are perpetually consumed by partisan political bickering, the national conversation stalls. But if your headlines focus on agricultural value chains, financial inclusion, technological innovation, and infrastructural gaps, you force policy makers and the private sector to move in that direction,’’ Mohamed Samoura said.
He said that to ensure that Sierra Leoneans benefit, journalists must adopt a collaborative mindset, noting that this does not mean compromising one’s independence. ‘’It means engaging stakeholders during the design phase of developmental policies, not just waiting at the finish line to report a failure, he said.
He challenged the leadership of SLAJ and all media proprietors to think like entrepreneurs and move away from media survival to media entrepreneurship.
‘’When journalism succeeds, public trust rises. When trust rises, the investment climate improves. When the investment climate improves, businesses grow. When businesses grow, jobs are created. And when jobs are created, our entire nation prospers,’’ he reiterated.
Mohamed Samoura concluded by honoring the memory of the pioneers who built the foundations of the press—men like his father—by building a media landscape that is fiercely independent, intellectually rigorous, financially self-sustaining, and deeply committed to the economic transformation of the Land that We Love, Sierra Leone.
