Sierra Leone Immigration Department Holds Leadership Training in Makeni

The Sierra Leone Immigration Department has completed a three-day Strategic Leadership, Command and Control Training programme in Makeni, aimed at strengthening leadership capacity as the institution prepares to transition to the Sierra Leone Immigration Service.

The programme ran from 24 to 26 September 2026 under the theme “Commanding the Transition.” It brought together senior immigration officers, regional commanders, district heads and heads of command posts.

Focus on leadership and accountability

The training formed part of the Department’s wider institutional transformation drive. Its objectives included improving command structures, institutional discipline, accountability and strategic decision-making.

Sessions used case studies, group discussions, leadership exercises and interactive activities. Participants were divided into three groups to examine practical command challenges and develop proposed solutions.

Tidiane Traore, the lead consultant, said effective leadership and strong institutional structures would be needed to achieve the strategic objectives identified during an earlier engagement with the Department in Kenema.

Amadu Bah, Deputy Chief Immigration Officer, described institutional transformation as a continuous process and said meaningful change could only be sustained through effective leadership. He also reminded officers that the Department’s responsibilities extend beyond passport services to immigration and national security functions.

Command and control module

Proceedings on the second day included an address by Chief Immigration Officer Dr. Moses Tiffa Baio, Esq., on credible, competent and responsible leadership.

Baio said the transition required leaders capable of managing immigration operations effectively while maintaining professional and institutional standards. He also stressed the importance of a clear chain of command, defined lines of authority and effective structures to support discipline, order and accountability.

“Leadership is not only about the title you carry but the responsibility you bear. What matters most is how you honour that responsibility,” Baio told participants.

He identified competence and integrity as essential foundations of effective leadership.

Module Four, which focused on Command and Control, was facilitated by Laud Kwasi Ofori Affrifah, Esq., lead consultant and former Deputy Comptroller General of Operations of the Ghana Immigration Service.

Preparing for institutional transition

The programme was intended to support the development of a professional, competent and accountable leadership cadre within the immigration institution. Participants were encouraged to apply the knowledge gained to improve leadership and service delivery and to share it with officers at their respective command posts.

The Sierra Leone Immigration Department is preparing for a transition to the Sierra Leone Immigration Service. The supplied information does not specify a timetable or detailed process for that transition.

The training concluded in Makeni on 26 September.