Announcements

For years, Sierra Leone’s informal workers — the market women, okada riders, carpenters, masons, tailors, fishermen, and farmers — have been the silent engines of the nation’s economy, driving productivity yet living with deep uncertainty about their future. They are the backbone of local trade, construction, and food production, but when old age or illness arrives, most are left with nothing to depend on.

That painful reality is beginning to change. The National Social Security and Insurance Trust (NASSIT) has launched an inclusive and forward-looking initiative designed to extend social protection to Sierra Leone’s vast informal sector — a bold reform that could transform the meaning of economic security and equality in the country.

According to Mohamed Fuaad Daboh, Director General of NASSIT, the initiative represents a major milestone in national development. “We cannot build a secure Sierra Leone when 80 percent of our workers remain outside the safety net,” he said. “Every worker counts — whether in an office, in a market stall, or on a fishing boat. Every Sierra Leonean deserves the dignity of retirement security.”

The new scheme reimagines how social security works. Unlike the formal sector, where deductions are made from fixed monthly salaries, the NASSIT Informal Sector Scheme allows flexible contributions that match the unpredictable income patterns of self-employed and small-scale workers.

Participants can contribute weekly, monthly, or seasonally, depending on their earnings. The scheme also permits group enrollments through market associations, trade unions, cooperatives, and community-based organizations — an approach that simplifies registration and fosters accountability.

For people like Aminata Kamara, a trader at Dove Cot Market, the flexibility offers both hope and relief. “We earn today and maybe nothing tomorrow,” she said. “With this plan, I can save small-small, knowing that when I grow old, I will have something to fall back on. That gives me peace of mind.”

In an effort to bridge the trust gap, NASSIT has launched a massive nationwide outreach campaign. From Bo to Makeni, Kenema to Port Loko, teams have been meeting traders, transport unions, fishermen, and youth groups — explaining how the new system works and why it matters.

According to the Director of Operations, this “community-first approach” is central to NASSIT’s mission. “We are not sitting in offices waiting for people to come to us,” he said. “We are going to them — in their marketplaces, in garages, at wharfs, and in farms. Inclusion starts where people live and work.”

The Trust has also partnered with mobile money operators and microfinance institutions to make contributions easier, especially for people in rural areas who may not have access to banks.
Development experts view the inclusion of informal workers in the national pension system as a historic step toward ending poverty and ensuring long-term social stability.

Dr. Francis Tucker, a development economist, described the reform as “a social transformation, not just an administrative upgrade.” He noted, “This initiative acknowledges that dignity is not a privilege for the salaried few — it is a right for everyone who contributes to the nation’s growth.”

Once registered, informal workers will be entitled to retirement pensions, survivors’ benefits, and other protections similar to those enjoyed by formal employees. This means that a street vendor in Freetown or a fisherman in Tombo can one day retire with a guaranteed income — a concept once unimaginable for many.

Already, stories of hope are spreading. On Freetown’s Abacha Street, Alhaji Kanu, a petty trader, proudly displays his new NASSIT card. “Before, I thought NASSIT was only for government workers,” he said. “Now I know it’s for me too. I don’t earn much, but I’m proud to be part of something that will protect my future.”

Similar sentiments are being echoed across the provinces. In Bo, a market woman summed it up simply: “For the first time, we feel seen. We feel that the system belongs to us too.”

The informal sector has long been the invisible workforce of Sierra Leone — excluded from data, ignored in policy, and left vulnerable in times of crisis. By bringing them under the NASSIT umbrella, the government is rewriting that story.

As DG Fuaad Daboh put it, “Social security must speak the language of every Sierra Leonean — from the boardroom to the market stall. Because when the ordinary worker in Kambia or Kailahun feels included, that is when our mission is complete.”

Indeed, “Every Worker Counts” is no longer just a slogan — it’s a national movement redefining what it means to work, save, and retire with dignity in Sierra Leone.