RABAT, MOROCCO – 9th June 2026 – On the margins of the 45th Annual General Meeting of the Shelter Afrique Development Bank (ShafDB) held today in Rabat, Morocco, Sierra Leone’s Minister of Lands, Housing and Country Planning, Dr. Turad Senesie held a high-level sideline meeting with the Bank’s leadership to advance two critical housing initiatives: mortgage financing for low-income earners and the development of student hostels in partnership with TAF Global Africa.
The Minister opened the engagement by updating Shelter Afrique on transformative legal and policy reforms reshaping Sierra Leone’s housing sector.
He announced the promulgation of the new Country Planning Act 2025, replacing a 75-year-old legacy law that had become unfit for purpose. The new Act empowers local councils as implementing agencies for development controls and introduces clear city zoning definitions — residential, commercial, industrial, and mixed-use — under accompanying regulations.
For the first time since independence, Sierra Leone is also drafting a Building Codes Act, now at an advanced stage. The Minister noted that the Act will enforce safety standards, promote public health, prevent structural failures, mitigate natural disasters and fire risks, and address energy efficiency.
Furthermore, the government is reviewing the national Housing Policy, a process expected to culminate in a comprehensive Housing Act and Regulations. He also highlighted ongoing joint venture agreements with developers, notably TAF Global Africa, which is leading affordable housing schemes across the country.
Two Urgent Requests to Shelter Afrique
The Minister conveyed that his presence at the AGM was driven by two pressing needs requiring immediate intervention:
1. Mortgage financing specifically tailored for low-income earners, to expand homeownership access.
2. A joint project for student hostels, being developed by the Government of Sierra Leone in collaboration with TAF Global Africa.
He emphasised that both interventions are essential to addressing the nation’s housing deficit and advancing urban resilience and safety.
Shelter Afrique welcomed the Minister’s dedication and his commitment to bridging the housing deficit
Looking Ahead
The Government of Sierra Leone, TAF Global Africa, and Shelter Afrique are now actively working together to elevate housing delivery in Sierra Leone to an extraordinary level for the benefit of all citizens.
In attendance were the Chief Finance Officer, Beatrice Mburu and Chief Business Officer Gibson Mapfidza. The Minister is accompanied by the Director of Policy and Planning Dr. Alphajor Cham.
The TAF Africa Global CEO Mustapha Njie was in attendance at the AGM.
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