Bo City, 14 December, 2025 – The Deputy Minister of Local Government and Community Affairs, Hon. Alfred Moi Jamiru, in collaboration with Welthungerhilfe (WHH), has led a delegation from PETCO Ethiopia on a learning and exchange visit to waste recyclers in Bo City, aimed at strengthening recycling enterprises and promoting a circular economy in Sierra Leone.
The visit builds on WHH’s long-standing engagement with waste recyclers, which began in 2018 under Project SLE 1048. Through the project, WHH supported small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and informal waste workers with training, technical assistance, funding, basic equipment, and legal registration, while also strengthening the capacity of city councils in Bo and Makeni to improve waste management, environmental sanitation, and youth employment.
This foundation was further expanded in 2020 with Project SLE 1079, which supported recyclers through a competitive selection process. Although administrative delays affected the timely awarding of support, the experience led to the formation of the National Environmental Management and Recycling Team (NEMART)—now the unified national voice for waste recyclers. NEMART was officially launched on 20 February 2025 during the Go Circular Salone Week at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Freetown.
The delegation first paid a courtesy visit to the Bo City Council, where members were introduced to the council leadership and formally explained the purpose of the visit. The council welcomed the team and wished them success before they proceeded to engage waste recyclers and inspect their facilities.
Delivering welcome remarks, the Chairman of NEMART, Alhaji Yusif Kallon, warmly welcomed the PETCO Ethiopia delegation to Sierra Leone and thanked WHH for its continued support to the recycling sector. He traced the history of NEMART, highlighting its membership across Bo, Kenema, Kono, Makeni, Koinadugu, Freetown, and Port Loko, and its ongoing efforts to formalize as a national association. He also showcased the diverse products produced by members, including plastic tiles, sheets, flower pots, furniture, fertilizer, biochar briquettes, and cook stoves made from recycled metals.
He noted that despite progress, recyclers still face challenges such as manual production methods, which affect product quality and market competitiveness. He expressed confidence that collaboration with PETCO Ethiopia, facilitated by WHH, would help introduce modern technology and open new market opportunities.
While inspecting the recycling factory and finished products, Deputy Minister Alfred Moi Jamiru described limited market access and low public patronage of locally produced recycled goods as major setbacks. He assured recyclers of government support, stating that his ministry would collaborate with other MDAs to promote their products by facilitating participation in trade fairs, encouraging the use of locally made products, and engaging factories and companies to source items locally rather than importing them. He also revealed plans to involve national leadership in promoting recycled products to boost public confidence and demand.
Speaking after the inspection, Ms. Mihiet Teclemarial, Executive Director of PETCO Ethiopia, commended the quality of the products and noted that their pricing reflects the level of effort invested. She emphasized the importance of strong marketing and public awareness, drawing on Ethiopia’s experience where effective promotion has significantly increased demand for recycled products. She further assured the recyclers that the production processes pose no threat to the environment and shared images of recycled products from Ethiopia with NEMART members.
Throughout the visit, the leadership of WHH was fully in attendance, responding to questions particularly those related to support and sponsorship for SMEs. The engagement marked another step toward strengthening partnerships, expanding markets, and advancing sustainable waste management in Sierra Leone.
The delegation is expected to continue similar visits to waste recyclers in Kenema as part of the ongoing exchange programme
For more details:
Frederick V Kanneh
Senior Information Officer
MLGCA
