Freetown, April 8, 2025 – The Chief Minister convened a high-level strategic meeting to deliberate on the opening and operationalization of the Sewa Ground Market.
The meeting brought together representatives from the National Social Security and Insurance Trust (NASSIT), the Ministry of Transport and Aviation, the National Traders’ Union, and the Sewa Ground Market Executive.
This engagement forms part of the government’s broader commitment to ensuring that infrastructure projects deliver tangible benefits to citizens, particularly within the framework of President Julius Maada Bio’s Big Five Game Changers, which prioritize job creation, youth employment, and human capital development.
In his opening remarks, Chief Minister Dr. David Moinina Sengeh noted that the meeting was a follow-up to an earlier engagement with traders at the Sewa Ground Market.
The Director-General of NASSIT provided an update, highlighting that the market project consists of seven components: 1,700 stalls for table traders, 170 upscale lock-up shops, 277 medium-scale shops, 85 warehouse units, and 160 toilet compartments. The market also includes a police post, daycare centre, clinic, and is designed to be accessible to people with disabilities.
The President of the National Traders’ Union, Mr. Vandie Lansana, expressed appreciation to the Chief Minister and emphasized the need for NASSIT to honour its commitment to prioritize traders from Wilberforce Street, Rawdon Street, Charlotte Street, and Howe Street. “We were assured that original traders would be given first consideration for the new facility. We ask that engagement with us continues,” he stated.
The Sewa Grounds Project, initiated in 2014, is a joint effort between NASSIT and the Freetown City Council (FCC) with an aim to redevelop the market into a modern trading space that can accommodate over 6,000 traders and customers daily.
The market encompasses seven lots, including open market stalls, a new toilet block, a warehouse block, site development works, a support facility block, upscale lockup shops, and the Herbert Williams Building (Upscale Annex Building).
Among the various components of the project, the Open Market Stalls (Lot 1) involve the completion of a three-floor reinforced concrete building with approximately 1,244 market stalls. The Proposed Toilet Block (Lot 2) is a two-floor structure with separate sections for male and female users. Lastly, the Herbert Williams Building (Upscale Annex Building) includes approximately 100 lockable shop spaces and requires significant rehabilitation work.
The completion of the Sewa Grounds Market is a significant step in enhancing trading conditions and curbing informal street trading in Freetown.