Sierra Leone: towards a modern phytosanitary authority aligned with international standards

In brief

• Under the Fit For Market Plus (FFM+) programme, COLEAD is supporting Sierra Leone’s National Plant Protection Organisation (NPPO), currently operating as the Crop Protection Unit (CPU) within the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.
• The goal: to modernise its governance, structure and operational capacity.
• An assessment — document review, virtual consultations and a survey of 42 technical officers — revealed a legal framework inherited from 1946 and limited resources.
• The central recommendation: transform the CPU into a fully mandated National Plant Protection Division (NPPD), built around five specialised units.
• A lever to align the country with the IPPC and the WTO-SPS Agreement, and to strengthen its biosecurity, agriculture and trade.

Why this support?

Without a strong phytosanitary authority, a country struggles both to protect its crops and to secure its trade. In Sierra Leone, the system still rests on a legal framework dating back to 1946, out of step with international obligations under the IPPC and the WTO-SPS Agreement. Launched in late 2025 under the lead of expert Ruth Woode, COLEAD’s support opened with a full assessment: a document review, virtual consultations and a survey of 42 technical officers. The findings were clear — poorly defined reporting lines, overlapping responsibilities, insufficient staffing and equipment, weak mobility and the absence of integrated data systems. Yet they also revealed strong staff commitment and a real willingness to improve.

A new institutional architecture

The central recommendation is to turn the current CPU into a fully mandated National Plant Protection Division (NPPD), organised around five specialised units — Phytosanitary Official Control; Phytosanitary Inspection & Certification; Plant Pest Surveillance; Phytosanitary Diagnostic Laboratory; and Phytosanitary Support Services. A detailed organisational chart, functional architecture and table of responsibilities were drawn up in line with international best practice and COLEAD’s Job Description Framework.

Beyond the structure

Rebuilding an institution is about more than an organisational chart. The support also calls for a modern phytosanitary legal and regulatory framework, the institutionalisation of Continuous Professional Development (CPD) for all staff, and increased budget for surveillance, inspection, diagnostics and mobility. It recommends developing and enforcing Standard Operating Procedures, strengthening inter-agency coordination — especially at border points — and establishing robust systems for data management, internal audit and risk communication.

Why it matters

A modern, internationally compliant phytosanitary authority is the condition for protecting national agriculture over the long term and opening access to markets. Together, the proposed reforms aim to reinforce the country’s biosecurity, improve service delivery and strengthen Sierra Leone’s capacity to protect both its crops and its trade.

This activity is supported by the Fit For Market Plus (FFM+) programme, implemented by COLEAD within the Framework of Development Cooperation between the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) and the European Union. This publication receives financial support from the European Union and the OACPS. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of COLEAD and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union or the OACPS.