FREETOWN, Sierra Leone, 30 September 2026

The National Public Procurement Authority (NPPA) and the Budget Advocacy Network (BAN) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) giving civil society a formal role in monitoring the award and delivery of government contracts across Sierra Leone.

The agreement, signed at a ceremony at the NPPA office at Tower Hill, Freetown, aims to promote transparency, accountability, integrity and citizen participation in public procurement. It comes as recent audit reports continue to flag weaknesses in contract execution, and as the NPPA finalises a new procurement bill that would, for the first time, give civil society a legal basis to monitor procurement.

Focus on contract management.

NPPA Chief Executive Officer Fodi J. Konneh said the partnership targets a long-neglected stage of the procurement cycle.

“Much of the attention paid to procurement has gone to how suppliers are selected. The greater risk now lies in contract management and administration, where public money can be lost after a contract is signed.”

— Fodi J. Konneh, Chief Executive Officer, NPPA

Mr. Konneh said the collaboration responds to the recommendations of the MAPS (Methodology for Assessing Procurement Systems) diagnostic study, which called for greater civil society participation. The NPPA is also working with the Ministry of Finance to automate contract administration through Electronic Government Procurement (e-GP), to reduce the risk of ineligible expenditure, particularly on donor-funded grants and loans.

The Authority’s current priorities, he said, are to consolidate earlier reforms so that services continue without disruption, extend oversight into contract implementation to protect budget credibility, and write civil society’s role into the revised procurement legislation.

Key commitments under the MOU

The two institutions commit to:

Promoting transparency, integrity and citizen participation in public procurement
Strengthening civil society oversight and engagement between government and citizens
Identifying procurement challenges based on evidence
Improving access to procurement information and sharing knowledge

“Following the money” to the community level

BAN Coordinator Abu Bakarr Kamara said the network sought a formal relationship to complement government efforts in contract monitoring, citing recent audit findings on contract execution as evidence that stronger follow-through is needed to secure value for money. He added that BAN will extend the NPPA’s reach into villages and chiefdoms where the Authority has little presence.

“Our approach is to follow the money from an evidence-based perspective, so that funds meant for hospitals, schools and other infrastructure are used for their intended purpose. This partnership is designed to benefit both institutions and, above all, to ensure government services reach citizens.”

— Abu Bakarr Kamara, Coordinator, Budget Advocacy Network

The partnership will strengthen the role of civil society, the media and traditional leaders in procurement monitoring, generate data to support advocacy, and draw on NPPA technical support for public awareness-raising. Mr. Kamara said BAN will maintain its core principles of independence, transparency, accountability and non-partisanship while respecting the NPPA’s statutory mandate, and called for implementation to move swiftly.

A new legal basis for citizen oversight

Francis Gbaya, the NPPA’s Director of Legal Affairs and Board Secretariat, said the Authority is completing a draft bill for submission to Cabinet and Parliament. The bill includes specific provisions for civil society to monitor public procurement processes and procedures — a mechanism that does not exist in the current legal framework.

Mr. Gbaya added that the MOU places no financial obligation on the NPPA. A previous agreement with a civil society consortium stalled because its draft required the Authority to fund the consortium’s activities; the BAN agreement was structured to avoid that deadlock so the partnership can proceed without financial obstacles.

Next steps

The two institutions will now focus on raising public awareness and monitoring procurement activities nationwide while the draft bill makes its way to Cabinet and Parliament. For BAN, the MOU extends its long-standing work on public financial management into the procurement sector.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

About the Budget Advocacy Network (BAN)
The Budget Advocacy Network is a Sierra Leone-based civil society coalition working to promote transparency and accountability in public financial management. BAN conducts evidence-based budget analysis, social audits and policy advocacy to ensure public resources deliver services to citizens.

About the National Public Procurement Authority (NPPA)
The NPPA regulates public procurement in Sierra Leone under the Public Procurement Act 2016. Its mandate includes monitoring compliance, building the capacity of procurement practitioners, and overseeing grievance redress through the Independent Procurement Review Panel. The NPPA is the principal host of the African Public Procurement Network, which spans more than 47 member countries.

Media Contact
Abu Bakarr Tarawally, Budget Advocacy Network
Tel: +232 76613093 abstarawally@ban-sl.org