By Abu Bakarr Tarawally
Governance watchdogs in Sierra Leone are calling on the government to prioritize citizens’ needs as the country enters another phase of national budget preparations for FY2026.
Last month, Budget Advocacy Network (BAN) convened a pre-budget engagement with civil society, women-led organizations, and marginalized communities to capture citizens’ demands. This culminated in proposals aligned with the country’s Medium-Term National Development Plan and the Sustainable Development Goals, which were then submitted to the ministries of Gender and Children’s Affairs, Agriculture, Health and Sanitation, Basic and Senior Secondary Education, and Social Welfare.
Ahead of the budget process, which begins with a policy hearing tomorrow, government has instructed ministries, departments, and agencies to design realistic programs tied to national priorities. BAN is using media platforms to amplify citizens’ voices and press for their inclusion.
Key social welfare priorities include budget lines for cash transfers to vulnerable households, shelters and psychosocial support for street children and the elderly, disability-friendly infrastructure, and assistive devices for persons with albinism and other disabilities.
Health priorities call for funding essential drugs for people living with HIV/AIDS, maternal and newborn care, mobile clinics, adolescent health education, and fully operational one-stop centers for survivors of gender-based violence.
Education demands focus on rehabilitating classrooms with gender-sensitive designs, menstrual hygiene facilities, textbooks in English and local languages, catch-up programs for out-of-school children, and inclusive learning resources for children with disabilities.
Agriculture proposals include year-round irrigation systems, subsidized climate-resilient seeds and fertilizers, more agricultural extension workers, storage and feeder roads to boost market access, and support for women and youth in fish farming and food-for-work schemes.
Gender and children’s affairs priorities emphasize forensic labs in regional cities, stronger budget allocations for SGBV services, survivor funds, family support units, fast-track courts, and enforcement of child protection and women’s land rights laws.
BAN stressed that incorporating these priorities into the FY2026 budget is crucial to ensuring the voices of women, youth, and vulnerable citizens are reflected in government planning. Exclusion, they warned, could undermine Sierra Leone’s national development goals.
