John Kellie Marah
During the Government’s weekly press briefing hosted by the Ministry of Information and Civic Education at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Conference Room, where the state of Sierra Leone’s sports sector and the growth plan was unveiled.
“As a small West African nation, Sierra Leone is hosting the secretariat of the Africa Traditional Games and Sports Federation. Already, we have granted Namibia the right to host the 2026 edition of the Traditional Games Tournament as Zimbabwe is set for the 2028,” said NSA boss, Dr Emmanuel Saffa Abdulai.
The NSA Executive Director affirmed that sport is a multi-billion-dollar industry, not a leisure time activity.
He added that sport is the biggest employer in Sierra Leone, citing the 2023- 2024 Sierra Leone Male and Female Premier Leagues, which created over 3,000 jobs in eight months.
He said he took the NSA leadership job based on seven goal-driven pillars, ranging from infrastructural development to the decentralization of sports for national identity.
“In just six months in office, I have provided leadership for the drafting of four sports statutory regulations. These drafted regulations are now ready to be tabled in Parliament,’’ Dr Abdulai Saffa disclosed, adding that: ‘’the agency is now focusing on taking sports to schools and universities.
The National Sports Authority is an agency of the Government established by an Act of Parliament with the mandate to promote, encourage, develop sporting activities in Sierra Leone.
