Conakry, Guinea — Wednesday, 9th September 2026.
Sierra Leone’s Minister of Labour, Employment and Social Security, Umaru Napoleon Koroma, has held a strategic engagement with officials of the Government of Guinea to establish a clear and coordinated pathway for Sierra Leoneans travelling through Guinea in pursuit of legitimate employment opportunities in Arab countries.
The engagement forms part of the Government of Sierra Leone’s commitment to promoting safe, orderly and lawful labour migration, while ensuring that Sierra Leonean workers transiting through neighbouring countries are able to comply with appropriate immigration procedures and cross-border requirements without unnecessary disruptions.
The meeting also follows previous incidents in which Sierra Leoneans travelling through Guinea en route to employment opportunities in Arab countries reportedly encountered challenges at points of entry, resulting in delays and setbacks to their travel plans. Minister Koroma’s engagement therefore seeks to strengthen coordination between the relevant authorities of both countries and facilitate a smoother and more transparent process for genuine prospective workers.
Minister Koroma emphasized that Sierra Leone has Memoranda of Understanding with some Arab countries concerning the recruitment and employment of Sierra Leonean nationals. He noted that while legally registered recruitment companies are authorized to facilitate such employment opportunities, there are also unregistered and illegal operators conducting recruitment activities without the required legal authorization.
He stressed the importance of strengthening the regulatory framework to protect Sierra Leonean workers from exploitation, fraudulent recruitment practices and poor working conditions. Minister Koroma further indicated that, as part of his responsibilities in his new office, he intends to ensure that the recruitment and labour-migration process is professionally coordinated, including through the establishment of a committee to oversee and properly manage matters relating to overseas employment and migration.
The engagement underscores the importance of closer cooperation between Sierra Leone and Guinea in ensuring that workers travelling through Guinea do so through lawful channels, with proper documentation and in compliance with established immigration and employment requirements.
©️Special Comms of the Minister of Labour Employment and Social Security.