Leadership
Mayor of Freetown City Council
Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr
AMALI Cohort
2024
Term of Office
2023-2028
Length of Term
5 Years
Mayoral Legacy Goal
Education, Training & Employment
Creating 120,000 dignified jobs for youth and women by 2028 in environmental management, heritage tourism, human development and health, and the digital economy
Governance
Overview
Freetown, located in the Western Area, is the capital city of Sierra Leone. It is the principal port and primary commercial area for the country. The city, referred to as the Western Area Urban District, comprises 48 wards.
Regional, Municipal and Administrative Boundaries
Electoral methodology
The Mayor is elected by universal adult suffrage in a general multi-tier election alongside the election of the President, Members of Parliament and Councillors.
Local Government Act 2022 section 11: https://ecslmedia.ec.gov.sl/pdfviewer/the-local-government-act-2022/?auto_viewer=true#page=3&zoom=auto&pagemode=bookmarks
Structure of departments, roles and responsibilities
Function of the municipality or equivalent
- Budget and Finance
- Appointment Advisory, Foreign and Protocol
- Development and Urban Planning
- Climate Change and Environmental Management
- Assets, Facilities and Fleet Management
- Municipal Trade Committee
- Education and Skills Development
- Gender and Social Services
- Tourism Development
- Youth and Sports
- Health
- Water and Agriculture
- Sanitation
- City Transport
- Audit
Political structure for voting
Finances
Municipal budget
NLe 71,374,957
(US$ 3,037,232) Annual budget total approved 2024
Freetown City Council. Data contact.
Sources of revenue
- Property rates collection
- Licence Fees
- Market Dues
- Lease Rent
- Local Tax
- Parking Fees
- Billboards
Freetown City Council. 2023. Revenue Mobilisation Achievements. Available: https://fcc.gov.sl/first-100-days/revenue-mobilisation-achievements/
Main Economic Activities
- Wholesale & retail (38%)
- Industry (construction & manufacturing) (16%)
- Agriculture (fishing & cropping) (6%)
- Other services (finance, transport, hospitality) (40%)
Freetown City Council. Data contact.
Downloadable governance documents
Development Profile
Age Pyramid
Freetown-Age-Pyramid
Age Pyramid
Population Trends
Population Trends
Population Trends
12,878 people/km2
Population density
Statistics Sierra Leone. 2015. Sierra Leone 2015 population and housing census. Thematic report on population projections.
Population Trends
1,488,217
Population projection for next available year (2030)
Statistics Sierra Leone. 2015. Sierra Leone 2015 population and housing census. Thematic report on population projections.
Population Trends
1,055,964
Population figure for city (2015)
City Contact
Population Trends
Informal Economy
Informal Economy
Informal Economy
Poverty
Poverty
Poverty
Unemployment
Unemployment
Unemployment
17.3%
Poverty Rate (2018)
Statistics Sierra Leone. 2015. Sierra Leone 2015 population and housing census. National Analytical Report.
Poverty
85.4%
Unemployment (2015)
Statistics Sierra Leone. 2015. Sierra Leone 2015 population and housing census. National Analytical Report.
Unemployment
93.11%
National informal employment rate (2018)
Informal Economy
No items found.
No items found.
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Education
Education: Literacy Rate
Literacy Rate
HDI
HDI Score
Human Development Index Score
Human Development Index Definition
The HDI score, ranging from 1 (best score) to 0 (worst score), summarises the average achievement across three basic dimensions of human development:
• A long and healthy life (life expectancy at birth)
• Knowledge (mean years of schooling for adults 25 years and older; expected years of schooling for children of school entering age)
• A decent standard of living
77.8%
Literacy Rate for population aged 10 years and above
Education: Literacy Rate
Statistics Sierra Leone. 2015. Sierra Leone 2015 population and housing census. National Analytical Report.
0.413
National HDI Score
HDI Score
Statistics Sierra Leone. 2015. Sierra Leone 2015 population and housing census. National Analytical Report.
0.477
HDI Score
HDI Score
City Council
Basic Services
Basic Services: Sanitation
Sanitation
Basic Services
Basic Services: Waste
Waste
Basic Services
Electricity
Electricity
Housing
Housing: Access
Access to Housing
Spatial Development
Spatial Development: Maps
Urban Area Maps
Mobility
Transport: Median Travel Times
Average Travel Times
Transport
Transport: Modes
Modes of Transport
Basic Services
Water
Water
40.05%
Puplic Tap as principle source of drinking water
Freetown City Council. 2023. Transform Freetown. Four Year Report.
Water
4.30%
Neighbour's Tap as principle source of drinking water
Freetown City Council. 2023. Transform Freetown. Four Year Report.
Water
14.82%
Piped in compound as principle source of drinking water
Freetown City Council. 2023. Transform Freetown. Four Year Report.
Water
3.37%
Piped Indoors as principle source of drinking water
Freetown City Council. 2023. Transform Freetown. Four Year Report.
Water
2
Legal Dumpsites
Freetown City Council. 2023. Transform Freetown. Four Year Report.
Basic Services: Waste
160
Tricycle sweeping groups
Freetown City Council. 2023. Transform Freetown. Four Year Report.
Basic Services: Waste
120
Major streets are swept daily
Freetown City Council. 2023. Transform Freetown. Four Year Report.
Basic Services: Waste
4%
Taxi as mode of transport
Freetown City Council. 2023. Transform Freetown. Four Year Report.
Transport: Modes
26%
Taxi as mode of transport
Freetown City Council. 2023. Transform Freetown. Four Year Report.
Transport: Modes
26%
Okada/Keke as mode of transport
Freetown City Council. 2023. Transform Freetown. Four Year Report.
Transport: Modes
44%
Poda Poda as mode of transport
Freetown City Council. 2023. Transform Freetown. Four Year Report.
Transport: Modes
21%
Total faecal sludge in the city is being safely disposed and treated
Freetown City Council. 2023. Transform Freetown. Four Year Report.
Basic Services: Sanitation
90%
Population with on-site sanitation (pit latrines / septic tanks)
Freetown City Council. 2023. Transform Freetown. Four Year Report.
Basic Services: Sanitation
83.3%
Households using charcoal as the main source of energy for cooking
Freetown City Council. 2023. Transform Freetown. Four Year Report.
Electricity
Urban Development Challenges
Major Development Challenges
While the secondary data presented in the city profiles are from credible sources, we have not been able to verify the indicator definitions, denominators, or numerators, nor the data collection methodology for the primary data.
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