By: The Nature Newspaper
On Wednesday 14th October 2026, The National Public Procurement Authority (NPPA) on Wednesday successfully pre-launched the first phase of the Sierra Leone Electronic Government Procurement (e-EGP / Salone e-GP) system, focusing on the Supplier Registration Process, at a well-attended ceremony held at the New Brookfields Hotel in Freetown. The event brought together a broad spectrum of stakeholders, including representatives from various Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), Local Councils, Civil Society Organizations, private sector suppliers and contractors, development partners, and members of the media, who witnessed the formal pre-launch of this critical digital reform. The session was officially launched by the Chief Executive Officer of the NPPA, Chief Fodie J. Konneh, who underscored the transformative essence of the e-EGP electronic system. He described it as a landmark initiative designed to modernize public procurement in Sierra Leone by shifting from manual, paper-based processes to a secure, transparent, and fully digital platform. Chief Konneh emphasized that the e-EGP programme is a joint World Bank and Government of Sierra Leone funded project under the Accountable Governance for Basic Service Delivery (AGBSD) Project, with a total funding envelope of approximately forty million United States dollars.
The resources are dedicated to key MDAs and Local Councils over a four-year period, supporting the design, customization, rollout, capacity building, and sustained operation of the electronic procurement system. Expanding on the importance of the e-EGP, the NPPA CEO highlighted several key benefits that the system will deliver. He noted that the platform will significantly enhance transparency and accountability by creating a complete digital audit trail of all procurement activities, thereby reducing opportunities for corruption, discretion, and human interference in the process. The system minimizes delays associated with manual paperwork, accelerates approval workflows, and ensures that public resources are utilized more efficiently to deliver better value for money to Sierra Leonean taxpayers. Chief Konneh further stressed that the e-EGP will promote equal access and fair competition. Through the streamlined digital supplier registration and onboarding process, new and existing suppliers, contractors, and consultants can easily submit and verify their business details online, gaining access to a wide range of government procurement opportunities without geographical or bureaucratic barriers.
Registered suppliers will appear in a comprehensive public directory that indicates their status (active or debarred), enabling procuring entities to verify eligibility and credibility in real time. He pointed out that the system supports the entire procurement cycle from annual procurement planning and requisition, through tender publication, electronic bid submission and evaluation, to contract award and management. By integrating with other critical government systems such as the Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS), the National Revenue Authority (NRA), and related platforms, the e-EGP will strengthen fiscal discipline, improve coordination between budgeting and procurement, and enhance overall public financial management. The CEO also highlighted the system’s role in improving service delivery and national development. Public procurement accounts for a substantial portion of government expenditure; digitizing it will help ensure that goods, works, and services reach citizens more efficiently and that contracts are monitored more effectively post-award. Civil society and the media will benefit from greater public access to procurement plans, notices, and contract information, thereby strengthening citizen oversight and public trust.
Chief Konneh called on all stakeholder’s MDAs, Local Councils, suppliers, and civil society to fully embrace the system, complete the necessary registration and training, and work collaboratively with the NPPA to ensure smooth adoption. He reaffirmed the Authority’s commitment to providing continuous support, user manuals, helpdesk services, and capacity-building programmes as the first phase of supplier registration is rolled out and subsequent modules are introduced. The pre-launch ceremony marks an important milestone in Sierra Leone’s broader digital transformation and public procurement reform agenda. Stakeholders left the New Brookfields Hotel with a clear understanding that the e-EGP system represents not merely a technological upgrade, but a fundamental shift towards a more competitive, transparent, accountable, and development-oriented public procurement regime for the benefit of all Sierra Leoneans.
