AGL & Freetown Terminal Announce Major Expansion Drive
By Abu Bakarr Kargbo
On Thursday, 1 October 2026, during a media update held at the company’s headquarters in Freetown, Africa Global Logistics (AGL), through its subsidiary, Freetown Terminal Limited (FTL), announced planned investments totalling US$84.11 million for 2026 and 2027, signalling a major expansion of its operations and infrastructure at the Port of Freetown.
During the meeting, senior member of management outlined its investment programme, operational improvements, energy challenges, human-resource development and corporate social responsibility initiatives. For 2026 and 2027, highlighting that US$62.81 million is earmarked for investments in 2026, while a further US$21.3 million is planned for 2027.
It was revealed that the investment programme includes rehabilitation of Terminal Gate In and Gate Out facilities with Optical Character Recognition (OCR), rehabilitation of terminal fences, construction of a new cloakroom, showers and canteen, and the second phase of a solar-energy project involving 500KW.
Other major projects outlined include an additional 2MW capacity for the power plant, construction of a new administration building and dock building, paving of approximately 13,000 square metres, repairs to Quays 3 to 6, and the addition of approximately 126 reefer plugs.
Maroun Abi-Aad, General Manager of Freetown Terminal Limited, said the company invested US$26.06 million in new equipment in 2026, while total investment under its main project programme stood at approximately US$36.75 million. He said FTL plans to invest a further US$7.5 million in major equipment in 2027.
He furthered that the company’s operational improvements have already contributed to increased container movement, with average daily deliveries rising from 225 TEUs to 300 TEUs, adding that other measures include extending the Terminal Delivery Order (TDO) period to five days, allowing trucks to exit the Port without hourly restrictions, extending banking hours to 8 p.m., opening Gate In for export containers 24 hours, reducing police checkpoints and facilitating Sunday deliveries.
FTL also disclosed that 252 TEUs had been auctioned since the beginning of 2026, while increased electricity supply hours from the Electricity Distribution and Supply Authority (EDSA) have supported operations.
However, Abi-Aad identified electricity supply as one of the company’s major operational challenges, revealing that FTL spends approximately US$10,000 daily on fuel because of inadequate grid power.
The General Manager furthered that the terminal relied on its own power plant for approximately 85 per cent of its electricity needs, compared to 15 per cent from EDSA in 2025.
He warned that the company’s generators were designed primarily as backup systems rather than continuous production sources, adding that unreliable grid supply also makes preventive maintenance difficult. A major generator failure, he cautioned, could halt vessel operations, container discharge and loading and disrupt deliveries across the country.
FTL also highlighted congestion associated with customs inspections, noting that 100 per cent physical inspection of containers contributes to long truck queues at Gate Out. The company advocated greater reliance on scanning results and more selective physical inspections based on defined risk criteria.
It also called for faster and more frequent auction processes to prevent long-standing containers from occupying valuable yard space. The company further proposed mobile scanning technology, arguing that scanning containers during discharge could reduce bottlenecks.
Captain Fabjanko Kokan, Regional Director AGL for Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea and Country Manager, said AGL was proud to invest in Sierra Leone and the wider economy, stressing that the company was also committed to education, healthcare and community development through its corporate social responsibility programmes.
Kokan maintained that continued expansion would require collaboration among all stakeholders at the Port.
“If we expand, there will be more jobs and opportunities,” he said, while urging stakeholders to work together to ensure smooth port operations.
FTL’s Corporate Social Responsibility Programme
FTL’s CSR programme represents another component of its investment in Sierra Leone. The company’s 2026 identifiable CSR allocation is approximately NLe4.13 million, covering education, community development, health, women’s empowerment and innovation.
Education received the largest allocation at NLe2.249 million, supporting school bags, summer-school programmes, school-opening initiatives and Solidarity Day activities.
Community interventions received NLe1.071 million, while health initiatives, including breast-cancer awareness and drug sensitisation, received NLe433,000. Women’s empowerment was allocated NLe172,000, while NLe201,000 was earmarked for innovation initiatives including ITU robotics and youth STEM exposure.
Public Relations Officer, Abibu Jalloh, highlighted additional community interventions, including support for the School for the Blind and Deaf, Mathengba Village school, Moa Wharf drainage cleaning, Ramadan donations and vulnerable women’s skills development.
Meanwhile, Human Resources Manager, Madam Yvonne Elliott, said AGL, SALS and FTL have in their employment 524 staff, with 459 being males and 65 females. Of the 17 managers, 13 are Sierra Leoneans and four are expatriates.
Since January 2026, the companies have recruited 70 employees, including 10 females, while 99.1 per cent of the workforce is local.
Elliott said that recruitment follows a transparent process aligned with the company’s budget and highlighted the provision of medical insurance covering employees’ immediate families, including spouses and up to three children.
With the combined US$84.11 million investment programme, AGL and FTL said they are positioning the Port of Freetown for greater operational efficiency, increased capacity, improved energy resilience and broader economic opportunities for Sierra Leone.