VP Jalloh Calls for Stronger Information Governance in Digital Age

Vice President Dr Mohamed Julde Jalloh has called for stronger information governance and greater access to reliable information as Sierra Leone hosts the 17th International Conference of

Information Commissioners (ICIC) and the UNESCO International Day for Universal Access to Information (IDUAI).
Dr Jalloh made the call while delivering the keynote address at the opening of the conference at the Julius Maada Bio International Conference Centre in Lungi.
He described access to information as one of the most important ingredients for consolidating and sustaining democracy, particularly in young democracies such as Sierra Leone.
According to the Vice President, access to information enables citizens to participate in governance, assess government performance, engage in policy debates and hold public officials accountable.
Dr Jalloh highlighted Sierra Leone’s long history of journalism and freedom of expression, noting that the country has maintained a tradition of newspaper publishing dating back to the colonial era.
He also referenced Sierra Leone’s transition from one-party rule and civil war to multiparty democracy, stressing that strengthening democratic institutions and protecting fundamental rights remain important to the country’s development.
The Vice President cited the Right to Access Information Act of 2013 and the country’s data protection legislation as measures demonstrating Sierra Leone’s commitment to protecting citizens’ rights to information and privacy.

He also highlighted the repeal of criminal libel provisions in 2020 as an important milestone in the country’s media and democratic development.
However, Dr Jalloh acknowledged that significant challenges remain, particularly in the digital age.
He pointed to limited internet access, especially in rural communities, and what he described as a culture of information protection within some public institutions, where officials may regard withholding information as part of public administration.
The Vice President further warned that the rapid expansion of digital technologies and artificial intelligence presents both opportunities and challenges for information governance.
He said young democracies must develop the infrastructure and institutional systems needed to manage the growing volume of information while ensuring that it does not undermine the institutions they seek to strengthen.
Dr Jalloh also drew attention to broader economic pressures facing developing countries, including debt burdens, climate change, energy costs and other global challenges.
He said these pressures create difficult choices for governments seeking to balance investments in information governance with other pressing development priorities, including education, healthcare and infrastructure.
The Vice President officially declared the 2026 ICIC conference and the global celebration of Universal Access to Information open, welcoming delegates from across the world to Sierra Leone.
UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information, Mariya Gabriel, said access to information and information integrity are closely interconnected and essential to building sustainable and democratic societies.
She stressed that the right to information must move beyond legislation to practical implementation, ensuring that information requests are answered, refusals are justified, appeals are available and public authorities fulfil their obligations.
Gabriel noted that the number of countries with access-to-information laws has increased from 19 when UNESCO began working systematically on the issue in the 1990s to 142 today.
She, however, stressed that the adoption of laws is only the beginning, calling for stronger implementation, independent and adequately resourced information commissioners, proper records management and systems capable of responding to challenges associated with artificial intelligence and digital platforms.
She also argued that the response to disinformation should not be less information, but more reliable information, greater transparency, independent journalism, effective oversight and stronger public capacity to distinguish evidence from manipulation.
Gabriel said information integrity is a shared responsibility involving governments, information commissioners, technology companies, journalists, media organisations and civil society.
Speaking at the conference, Minister of Information and Civic Education, Chernor Bah, called on stakeholders to promote information sharing and strengthen information integrity to combat misinformation.
He warned that an information vacuum can create space for misinformation to thrive and stressed the importance of transparent communication, responsible information sharing and access to reliable information.
Minister Bah highlighted reforms he said had contributed to strengthening Sierra Leone’s democratic space, including the abolition of the death penalty and the repeal of Part V of the Public Order Act.
He urged stakeholders to build on these gains by promoting information integrity, strengthening access to information and safeguarding press freedom.
Chairman of the Right to Access Information Commission, Dr Ibrahim Sega Ibrahim Shaw, also called on the public to uphold information integrity and share credible information with the media to promote national development and combat misinformation.
Mr Andreas Hartl, Federal Deputy Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information of Germany, delivered a statement at the opening session, highlighting the importance of access to information and the protection of information rights in strengthening transparency and accountability.