Country Profile on AI Governance: Sierra Leone

Mean of the 9 scored indicators; 1 carries no score. West Africa mean 1.70 · all 54 states mean 1.76.

No score: 1 not scored (excluded from the mean).

1. S1.1

   National AI strategy existence

   Score 2 / 4

   https://mocti.gov.sl/the-ministry-of-communication-technology-and-innovation-mocti-in-collaboration-with-the-world-bank-group-is-developing-sierra-leones-first-ever-national-ai-strategy/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

   Note: Based on the evidence currently available, Sierra Leone is still developing its first National AI Strategy (as of May–June 2026).

   Sources mocti.gov.sl (opens in a new tab)

2. S1.2

   Strategy adoption date

   Score 0 / 4

   No evidence recorded.

   Note: Launch of AI Readiness Process and Draft Report concluded

   Scoring basis Threshold applied. Raw value: none (adoption date). No formally adopted national AI strategy.

   Sources techafricanews.com (opens in a new tab)

3. S1.3

   Political commitment signals

   ○Not scored: Excluded from the pillar mean

   No verified evidence found

   Scoring basis Score without evidence; excluded from the pillar mean. Fellow scored 2 but the evidence reads "No verified evidence found"; every score must be supported by evidence.

4. S1.4

   Dedicated AI budget allocation

   Score 0 / 4

   No publicly available AI budget allocation identified

   Note: At present, there is no publicly available evidence that Sierra Leone has established a dedicated or ring-fenced national budget allocation specifically for AI governance, AI regulation, AI infrastructure, or AI strategy implementation

5. S1.5

   AU Continental AI Strategy alignment

   Score 2 / 4

   No evidence recorded.

   Note: Sierra Leone's AI Strategy development process explicitly emphasizes: responsible AI adoption, inclusive participation, national AI readiness assessment, multi-sector stakeholder engagement, consideration of local languages and culture and collaboration with international partners. These elements correspond closely with AU Phase I priorities.

   Sources mocti.gov.sl (opens in a new tab)

6. S1.6

   Multi-stakeholder consultation

   Score 2 / 4

   The strongest publicly available evidence comes from MoCTI's official announcement of the strategy development process

   Note: MoCTI stated that consultations were being conducted with civil society organizations, media organizations, government institutions, and private sector stakeholders, to ensure the strategy reflects the realities and priorities of Sierra Leoneans. The consultation process follows the AU's recommended multi-stakeholder approach to AI governance. While the public announcement does not explicitly mention universities, the AI Readiness Diagnostic process and World Bank-supported strategy development typically involve academic and research stakeholders. However, direct evidence of university participation has not yet been publicly released.

   Sources techafricanews.com (opens in a new tab)

7. S1.7

   Sector prioritisation

   Score 2 / 4

   No evidence recorded.

   Note: The Sierra Leone AI Readiness Diagnostic Report was designed to assess national capabilities, opportunities, and gaps across sectors and is expected to inform priority sector selection. Given Sierra Leone's digital transformation agenda, likely priority sectors include agriculture, education, health, public services, financial services, mining and digital governance. However, these have not yet been officially confirmed in the final strategy.

   Sources mocti.gov.sl (opens in a new tab)

8. S1.8

   Implementation roadmap

   Score 0 / 4

   Not Yet Demonstrated

   Note: The AU Continental AI Strategy includes a phased implementation framework extending from 2025–2030 with milestones and periodic reviews. However, Sierra Leone's National AI Strategy is still under development. No publicly available document currently that speaks to Phase I activities, Phase II activities, Timelines, Milestones and Responsible institutions.

9. S1.9

   Monitoring and evaluation framework

   Score 0 / 4

   No public evidence yet

   Note: For Sierra Leone, no published evidence currently that identifies AI performance indicators, results framework, monitoring matrix, evaluation schedule and reporting mechanisms

10. S1.10

    Strategy review mechanism

    Score 0 / 4

    No public evidence yet

    Note: The AU Continental AI Strategy includes a planned mid-term review and monitoring process. For Sierra Leone, no published evidence that currently indicates review intervals, revision procedures, institutional review bodies and update schedules, because the strategy is still being drafted, such mechanisms may emerge in the final document.

Mean of all 10 indicator scores. West Africa mean 1.18 · all 54 states mean 1.32.

1. G2.1

   AI-specific legislation

   Score 0 / 4

   The Ministry of Communication, Technology and Innovation (MoCTI) announced in May 2026 that Sierra Leone is developing its first National AI Strategy based on a national AI readiness diagnostic and stakeholder consultations

   Note: No AI-specific law currently in force. Sierra Leone is developing its first National AI Strategy following an AI Readiness Assessment conducted with World Bank support. AI governance is currently addressed through broader ICT, cybersecurity, digital transformation, and emerging data governance initiatives.

   Sources mocti.gov.sl (opens in a new tab)

2. G2.2

   Data protection law status

   Score 0 / 4

   Cabinet approval of the National Data Protection Policy and authorization of a new Data Protection and Right to Access Information Act were announced in April 2026. Earlier consultations and validation of the Bill were completed in 2025.

   Note: No standalone data protection law currently in force. In April 2026, Cabinet approved a National Data Protection Policy and endorsed the drafting of a new Data Protection and Right to Access Information Act. The proposed law would establish a unified authority responsible for both data protection and access to information.

   Sources moice.gov.sl (opens in a new tab)

3. G2.3

   DPA AI mandate

   Score 0 / 4

   The approved policy framework focuses on data protection and access-to-information functions. Available government documentation does not identify AI regulation or AI supervision as a statutory mandate.

   Note: Sierra Leone does not yet have a dedicated Data Protection Authority. The proposed unified authority under the forthcoming legislation would oversee personal data protection and access to information. No official documents currently assign an explicit AI oversight or AI regulatory mandate to the authority.

   Sources moice.gov.sl (opens in a new tab)

4. G2.4

   DPA staffing and budget

   Score 0 / 4

   Current reforms indicate the authority is still being created through pending legislation.

   Note: Sierra Leone has not yet established a dedicated Data Protection Authority. Consequently, no official staffing figures are publicly available.

   Scoring basis Threshold applied. Raw value: 0 (FTE staff).

   Sources moice.gov.sl (opens in a new tab)

5. G2.5

   AI regulatory body existence

   Score 0 / 4

   No dedicated AI governance body currently exists.

   Note: There is currently no publicly established AI Commission, National AI Council, AI Regulatory Authority, or dedicated AI governance body in Sierra Leone. The lead institution responsible for AI policy development is the Ministry of Communication, Technology and Innovation (MoCTI)

   Sources mocti.gov.sl (opens in a new tab)

6. G2.6

   Institutional design model

   Score 2 / 4

   The current process is primarily policy-driven rather than rule-based or statutory.

   Note: Because Sierra Leone has not yet adopted a National AI Strategy or AI legislation, the country currently relies on a combination of existing ICT and digital governance laws; cybersecurity and data-related legislation; sector-specific regulation and policy development through MoCTI.

   Sources mocti.gov.sl (opens in a new tab)

7. G2.7

   Malabo Convention ratification

   Score 0 / 4

   No evidence of ratification

   Note: Not ratified (based on currently available AU ratification records).

8. G2.8

   Enforcement actions taken

   Score 0 / 4

   No publicly reported AI enforcement actions

   Note: No publicly available evidence that identifies AI investigations; AI regulatory sanctions; AI compliance audits; AI-related judicial decisions and AI ethics enforcement proceedings. This is not surprising because Sierra Leone currently has no dedicated AI law, no AI regulator exists; The National AI Strategy is still being developed.

9. G2.9

   Extraterritorial provisions

   Score 0 / 4

   No explicit legal framework currently governs foreign AI systems.

   Note: Current Sierra Leone legislation does not appear to contain specific provisions governing: foreign AI providers; cross-border AI deployment; imported foundation models; foreign generative AI systems; and algorithmic accountability for overseas providers. Existing ICT and intellectual property laws were enacted before the emergence of modern generative AI systems and therefore do not directly address these issues.

   Sources copyrightatlas.com (opens in a new tab)

10. G2.10

    IP framework for AI

    Score 0 / 4

    No formal legislative review or amendment for AI-generated content has been publicly adopted.

    Note: The principal copyright law remains the Copyright Act 2011, which predates modern generative AI technologies and contains no provisions dealing specifically with AI-generated works; AI authorship; AI-assisted creativity; Ownership of AI-generated outputs; Training AI models on copyrighted content.

    Sources copyrightatlas.com (opens in a new tab)

Mean of the 9 scored indicators; 1 carries no score. West Africa mean 1.40 · all 54 states mean 1.51.

No score: 1 context only.

1. I3.1

   Data center count

   Score 2 / 4

   https://statehouse.gov.sl/2025/11/29/sierra-leones-president-julius-maada-bio-opens-orange-sierra-leone-data-centre-reaffirms-governments-commitment-to-enabling-private-investment/?utm

   Note: At least 2 commercial data centers confirmed. Recent evidence confirms that Orange Sierra Leone operates a primary commercial data center in Freetown and a disaster recovery/commercial-grade data center in Bo, commissioned in November 2025. The Bo facility was officially described as a replica of the Freetown data center and serves national continuity and resilience purposes.

   Scoring basis Threshold applied. Raw value: 2 (data centres).

   Sources datacenterdynamics.com (opens in a new tab)

2. I3.2

   Data center capacity (MW)

   Score 0 / 4

   Not publicly disclosed

   Note: No operator has publicly released the IT load or power capacity (MW) of Sierra Leone's commercial data centers. Although Orange disclosed investment values (approximately €23 million for the Bo facility), no official MW figures have been published.

   Scoring basis Fellow score kept; no raw value for the threshold.

   Sources datacenterdynamics.com (opens in a new tab)

3. I3.3

   Submarine cable landing points

   Score 1 / 4

   ACE Submarine Cable Landing Station

   Note: Sierra Leone is connected to the ACE (Africa Coast to Europe) submarine cable, which has a landing station in Freetown. The ACE consortium lists Freetown as one of its official landing stations.

   Scoring basis Threshold applied. 1 cable systems (TeleGeography, accessed 2026-10-06).

   Sources ace-submarinecable.com (opens in a new tab)

4. I3.4

   International bandwidth (Gbps)

   Score 0 / 4

   No official national figure publicly available

   Note: Neither the Government of Sierra Leone, the telecommunications regulator, nor major operators currently publish a consolidated national international bandwidth capacity figure. Available sources confirm connectivity through ACE submarine cable, national fiber, backbone expansion and ultra One infrastructure investments. However, aggregate international bandwidth capacity (Gbps/Tbps) has not been publicly disclosed.

   Scoring basis Fellow score kept; no raw value for the threshold.

   Sources ultraone.io (opens in a new tab)

5. I3.5

   Hyperscaler presence

   Score 0 / 4

   None confirmed

   Note: No evidence was found that major hyperscale cloud providers currently operate infrastructure physically located in Sierra Leone: Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, Oracle Cloud and Alibaba Cloud. Cloud services used in Sierra Leone are generally hosted from regional hubs outside the country. No local cloud region or availability zone has been announced.

6. I3.6

   GPU/HPC access

   Score 1 / 4

   Limited availability

   Note: No publicly known National AI supercomputing center, National GPU cluster, Dedicated AI compute facility or Academic HPC center. Current AI research capacity relies largely on Cloud-hosted compute resources, university computing laboratories and international partnerships. The recently expanded data center ecosystem may improve future opportunities but does not currently constitute a national AI compute infrastructure.

   Sources datacenterdynamics.com (opens in a new tab)

7. I3.7

   Data localisation provisions

   Score 2 / 4

   Cabinet Approves National Data Protection Policy (2026). No mandatory localization requirement currently identified.

   Note: In April 2026, Cabinet approved Sierra Leone's first National Data Protection Policy and authorized development of a new Data Protection and Right to Access Information Act. However, no publicly available provision currently relating to local storage of all citizen data, mandatory in-country cloud hosting and data residency requirements for AI systems

   Sources moice.gov.sl (opens in a new tab)

8. I3.8

   Cross-border data flow framework

   Score 1 / 4

   Framework under development

   Note: The 2026 Data Protection Policy reform signals Sierra Leone's intention to establish a modern legal framework for personal data governance and international data transfers. However, no comprehensive enacted law yet specifies adequacy decisions, standard contractual clauses, cross-border transfer approvals and restrictions on foreign cloud providers

   Sources moice.gov.sl (opens in a new tab)

9. I3.9

   Foreign AI surveillance spending

   ○Context only: Context flag outside the score

   No documented expenditure identified

   Note: No publicly available government budget, procurement record, audit report, or development partner report was found documenting expenditure on facial recognition systems, predictive policing AI, biometric AI surveillance and foreign AI surveillance platforms

   Scoring basis Context flag; outside the score. Raw value read from the evidence: "No documented expenditure identified".

10. I3.10

    Sovereign cloud initiatives

    Score 1 / 4

    https://sldtp.gov.sl/who-we-are/?utm; https://ultraone.io/?utm

    Note: Several initiatives support domestic digital infrastructure, including the Government Digital Transformation Project (US$50 million World Bank-supported initiative), Expansion of national fiber infrastructure, Orange Sierra Leone data centers and Ultra One connectivity infrastructure. However, Sierra Leone has not yet announced a formal national sovereign cloud comparable to those operating in countries such as Rwanda, Kenya, the UAE, or Saudi Arabia.

    Sources sldtp.gov.sl (opens in a new tab)

Mean of all 10 indicator scores. West Africa mean 1.14 · all 54 states mean 1.20.

1. H4.1

   AI researchers per million

   Score 2 / 4

   No evidence recorded.

   Note: Sierra Leone does not maintain an official AI researcher registry. The country has a small research community concentrated in institutions such as University of Sierra Leone, Fourah Bay College and Njala University. The ongoing AI Readiness Diagnostic identifies limited national AI research capacity as one of the challenges facing AI adoption. Given Sierra Leone's population of roughly 8–9 million and the currently limited AI research ecosystem, a reasonable evidence-based estimate is 20–80 nationally

   Scoring basis Threshold applied. Raw value: 5.5 (AI researchers per million). Raw value read from the evidence: "2–9" [score_raw; notes estimate 20–80 researchers nationally on ~8–9m population; midpoint of 2–9]. Listed for second-edition review: The raw value is the midpoint of a fellow estimate of 2 to 9.

   Sources mocti.gov.sl (opens in a new tab)

2. H4.2

   DPA staff with AI competency

   Score 0 / 4

   No publicly available evidence

   Note: Sierra Leone's data protection framework is still emerging following Cabinet approval of the National Data Protection Policy in 2026. No public staffing records identifying AI engineers, machine learning specialists, algorithm auditors and AI governance specialists within a national Data Protection Authority.

   Scoring basis Fellow score kept; no raw value for the threshold.

3. H4.3

   University AI programs

   Score 0 / 4

   0 confirmed domestic AI/ML degree programs

   Note: A review of publicly available university offerings found Computer Science programs, ICT programs and Software-related programs, but no confirmed Sierra Leone-accredited bachelor's or master's degree specifically titled Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, AI Engineering and Data Science and AI. The AI-related master's programs visible online are delivered by foreign institutions operating online rather than Sierra Leone universities.

   Scoring basis Threshold applied. Raw value: 0 (universities).

   Sources techtitute.com (opens in a new tab)

4. H4.4

   African-authored AI publications

   Score 1 / 4

   Approximately 5–20 AI-related publications annually with at least one Sierra Leone-affiliated author. This should be treated as an informed estimate rather than an official statistic.

   Note: No national publication database tracks AI publications. Available evidence suggests some faculty members at Sierra Leonean universities participate in AI, ICT, and data-science research collaborations; research output remains modest compared with larger African AI ecosystems such as South Africa, Kenya, Egypt, Morocco, or Nigeria

   Scoring basis Threshold applied. 3.7 papers/yr ÷ 8.64m people = 0.42 per million (floors applied).

5. H4.5

   AI patents filed

   Score 0 / 4

   No evidence identified

   Note: No publicly available records indicating AI patents filed in Sierra Leone, AI inventions registered domestically and Machine-learning-related patent applications. The country's intellectual property system remains relatively small and there is no public evidence of annual AI patent filings.

   Scoring basis Threshold applied. Raw value: 0 (AI patent applications/year). Raw value read from the evidence: "there is no public evidence of annual AI patent filings". Checked against the evidence on 7 October 2026: confirmed.

6. H4.6

   K-12 CS education

   Score 1 / 4

   Emerging but not universal

   Note: Sierra Leone has expanded digital education initiatives, including coding exposure for school-age learners. One example is the Super Coders programme supported by Orange Sierra Leone Foundation, which provides coding instruction and computer laboratories in secondary schools. However, computer science is not yet universally available across all schools; significant disparities remain between urban and rural areas and AI education is not part of mainstream K–12 curricula.

   Sources engageforchange.orange.com (opens in a new tab)

7. H4.7

   AI workforce training programs

   Score 0 / 4

   No evidence recorded.

   Note: No dedicated national AI reskilling programme has yet been announced. However, government institutions are increasingly promoting Digital skills, ICT training, Technology transfer and Workforce development, through technical and vocational education initiatives. The development of Sierra Leone's National AI Strategy is expected to generate future AI skills initiatives.

   Sources mocti.gov.sl (opens in a new tab)

8. H4.8

   Labour transition policy

   Score 0 / 4

   No formal AI labour-transition framework currently identified.

   Note: No dedicated framework currently that addresses Job displacement from AI, Workforce transition planning, AI-driven labour market changes and Occupational reskilling pathways. Government workforce-development initiatives exist, but they are not AI-specific.

   Sources localcontent.gov.sl (opens in a new tab)

9. H4.9

   Informal economy AI assessment

   Score 2 / 4

   No documented AI-specific assessment of the informal economy

   Note: Sierra Leone has undertaken significant work on the informal economy, including National Action Plan for Enterprise Formalization, informal sector transition programmes and employment and productivity studies. However, available government and UN documentation does not indicate a specific assessment of AI's impact on informal enterprises or informal workers

   Sources undp.org (opens in a new tab)

10. H4.10

    African language NLP coverage

    Score 2 / 4

    anguages with meaningful NLP/LLM support: approximately 1 (Krio), with early-stage work on a small number of others.

    Note: The Ministry of Communication, Technology and Innovation has specifically stated that local languages and culture are being considered in the National AI Strategy process. African language initiatives such as AI4D have expanded NLP resources for low-resource African languages, but Sierra Leonean languages remain significantly underrepresented.

    Scoring basis Threshold applied. Raw value: 1 of 3 (languages supported / major languages), normalised 33.3. 33% of major domestic languages.

    Sources arxiv.org (opens in a new tab)

Mean of the 4 scored indicators; 6 carry no score. West Africa mean 1.04 · all 54 states mean 1.05.

No score: 6 not scored (excluded from the mean).

1. N5.1

   AI companies count

   Score 1 / 4

   https://www.f6s.com/company/geneline-x?utm; https://cyberbizclinic.co/?utm

   Note: Publicly identifiable AI-focused companies include Geneline-X, a Sierra Leonean AI startup providing RAG APIs, fine-tuned LLMs, chatbots, and voice agents; CyberBiz Clinic Ltd., offers AI solutions, automation tools, and digital transformation services and Open Hubb (Flot AI Chatbot) - launched an AI-powered chatbot platform in 2026. The absence of a national AI company registry makes precise counting impossible.

   Scoring basis Threshold applied. Raw value: 3 (companies). Raw value read from the evidence: "Publicly identifiable AI-focused companies include Geneline-X" [three named (Geneline-X, CyberBiz Clinic, Open Hubb); fellow says precise counting impossible;. Checked against the evidence on 7 October 2026: confirmed.

   Sources thecalabashnewspaper.com (opens in a new tab)

2. N5.2

   Private AI investment (USD)

   ○Not scored: Excluded from the pillar mean

   No official figure available

   Note: No government agency, central bank publication, startup database, or venture capital report currently publishes annual AI investment totals for Sierra Leone. Most AI ventures appear to be Bootstrapped, Grant-supported, Accelerator-supported or Early-stage startups

   Scoring basis Not determined; excluded from the pillar mean.

3. N5.3

   AI incubators/accelerators

   Score 2 / 4

   No evidence recorded.

   Note: Freetown Innovation Hub (FIH) - The hub explicitly states that it accelerates projects in Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain and Internet of Things (IoT). Limkokwing Innovation Hub - Supports entrepreneurship and technology innovation and strengthens collaboration between academia and industry. Christex Foundation Venture Studio - Provides AI education, venture incubation, startup support, and civic technology initiatives.

   Scoring basis Threshold applied. Raw value: 2 (incubators/accelerators). Raw value read from the evidence: "The hub explicitly states that it accelerates projects in Artificial Intelligence" [Freetown Innovation Hub and Christex Foundation Venture Studio; Limkokwing. Checked against the evidence on 7 October 2026: confirmed.

   Sources fih-sl.com (opens in a new tab)

4. N5.4

   Regulatory sandbox (AI)

   Score 0 / 4

   None identified

   Note: No evidence was found that Sierra Leone has established AI Regulatory Sandbox, AI Innovation Sandbox or Controlled AI testing environment. Neither the Ministry of Communication, Technology and Innovation nor other regulators have announced such a mechanism.

   Scoring basis Confirmed absence, scored 0. Unscored in profile; evidence affirms absence: "Neither the Ministry of Communication, Technology and Innovation nor other regulators have announced such a mechanism." [no AI sandbox established].

5. N5.5

   Government AI procurement

   ○Not scored: Excluded from the pillar mean

   Limited evidence

   Note: Some domestic firms market AI solutions for Public sector digitization, Civic technology and Service delivery. For example, Christex Foundation reports work on digitizing public systems using AI technologies, while CyberBiz Clinic markets AI-enabled digital services. However, no public procurement database currently documents significant government contracts specifically awarded for AI solutions developed by local firms.

   Scoring basis Not determined; excluded from the pillar mean.

   Sources christex.foundation (opens in a new tab)

6. N5.6

   AI safety evaluation capacity

   ○Not scored: Excluded from the pillar mean

   None publicly identified

   Note: No evidence was found of AI Safety Institute, AI Evaluation Laboratory, Model Testing Center, Algorithm Audit Facility and Responsible AI Testing Hub within government, universities, or the private sector.

   Scoring basis Not determined; excluded from the pillar mean.

7. N5.7

   ISO/IEC 42001 adoption

   ○Not scored: Excluded from the pillar mean

   No documented adoption identified

   Note: ISO/IEC 42001 is the international standard for AI Management Systems published in 2023. No public evidence indicates that Government ministries, universities and/or Sierra Leonean businesses have obtained ISO/IEC 42001 certification.

   Scoring basis Not determined; excluded from the pillar mean.

   Sources en.wikipedia.org (opens in a new tab)

8. N5.8

   Standards body AI competency

   ○Not scored: Excluded from the pillar mean

   No evidence identified

   Note: The national standards authority is the Sierra Leone Standards Bureau. Available information shows participation in general standards activities, but no publicly listed AI Committee, AI Standards Working Group or AI Governance Technical Committee could be identified.

   Scoring basis Not determined; excluded from the pillar mean.

   Sources iso.org (opens in a new tab)

9. N5.9

   AI risk assessment frameworks

   Score 0 / 4

   None identified

   Note: No published Sierra Leone framework currently addresses AI risks in Healthcare, Financial services, Education, Public administration and Employment. Likewise, no AI impact assessment methodology has been adopted nationally.

   Scoring basis Confirmed absence, scored 0. Unscored in profile; evidence affirms absence: "No published Sierra Leone framework currently addresses AI risks" [also: no AI impact assessment methodology adopted nationally].

10. N5.10

    University-industry AI partnerships

    ○Not scored: Excluded from the pillar mean

    Emerging but limited

    Note: Evidence suggests growing collaboration between Innovation hubs, Universities, Technology startups and Skills-development organizations. For example, Limkokwing Innovation Hub explicitly promotes collaboration among academia, industry, and government. Freetown Innovation Hub works with technology innovators in AI and emerging technologies. Christex Foundation combines AI education, venture incubation, and civic technology initiatives. However, no large-scale formal AI research consortium equivalent to those seen in South Africa, Kenya, Egypt, or Rwanda has been identified.

    Scoring basis Not determined; excluded from the pillar mean.

    Sources limkokwinginnovationhub.com (opens in a new tab)

Mean of all 10 indicator scores. West Africa mean 1.21 · all 54 states mean 1.26.

1. E6.1

   Algorithmic impact assessment

   Score 0 / 4

   No mandatory AIA requirement currently exists.

   Note: No Sierra Leone law, regulation, policy, or public procurement framework currently requires Algorithmic impact assessments, AI impact assessments, Automated decision-making assessments and AI risk assessments before deployment. The ongoing National AI Strategy development process has not yet published any mandatory AIA provisions.

   Sources mocti.gov.sl (opens in a new tab)

2. E6.2

   Bias audit requirements

   Score 0 / 4

   Not required

   Note: No legislation or regulatory guidance currently requires Fairness testing, Bias auditing, Discrimination assessments and Independent AI audits for high-risk AI systems. Sierra Leone has not yet enacted an AI law equivalent to the EU AI Act or emerging AI regulations elsewhere.

3. E6.3

   Transparency obligations

   Score 0 / 4

   No AI-specific transparency requirements

   Note: No legal requirement currently obliges AI developers or deployers to disclose Use of AI, Training data sources, Model architecture, Automated decision-making logic and AI-generated content labelling. The forthcoming AI Strategy may introduce such provisions, but none are publicly available yet.

   Sources mocti.gov.sl (opens in a new tab)

4. E6.4

   Citizen redress mechanism

   Score 0 / 4

   General legal remedies exist, but no AI-specific challenge mechanism. The Constitution and administrative law framework preserve judicial review and legal remedies through the courts.

   Note: There is no AI-specific appeal mechanism. However, Sierra Leone's legal and administrative systems permit citizens to challenge Government decisions, Administrative actions and Regulatory decisions through courts and existing administrative review processes. If an AI system were used by a public authority, affected individuals could likely challenge the resulting decision under general legal principles, but not under a dedicated AI accountability framework.

5. E6.5

   Judicial AI remedy

   Score 4 / 4

   Yes. Courts can adjudicate AI-related disputes using existing legal frameworks

   Note: Sierra Leone's courts possess jurisdiction over civil, commercial, administrative, and constitutional disputes. Although no reported AI-related cases have been identified, courts would be competent to hear disputes involving AI-generated harms, Contractual disputes involving AI, Intellectual property issues, Data protection violations and Consumer protection claims

   Sources judiciary.gov.sl (opens in a new tab)

6. E6.6

   AI advisory body diversity

   Score 0 / 4

   The AI strategy development process is being coordinated by MoCTI and the World Bank but no permanent advisory body has been announced.

   Note: No formal National AI Council, AI Ethics Board or AI Advisory Committee has yet been established. Therefore, gender balance and disciplinary diversity cannot currently be assessed.

7. E6.7

   Global AI governance participation

   Score 2 / 4

   Limited but increasing

   Note: Sierra Leone participates in United Nations digital governance initiatives, UNDP digital transformation programmes and World Bank digital development programmes. Sierra Leone participates in AU digital transformation and AI discussions that contributed to the AU Continental AI Strategy. No evidence was found that Sierra Leone is a member of the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI). No evidence was found that Sierra Leone participates directly in OECD AI governance structures.

   Sources au.int (opens in a new tab)

8. E6.8

   Civil society AI engagement

   Score 2 / 4

   Formal consultation mechanisms exist during strategy development.

   Note: MoCTI explicitly states that civil society organizations are participating in the AI strategy development process. Stakeholder consultations include Civil society organizations, Media organizations, Government institutions and Private sector actors

   Sources mocti.gov.sl (opens in a new tab)

9. E6.9

   African ethical framework reference

   Score 2 / 4

   Indirectly aligned, not formally codified

   Note: No published Sierra Leone AI policy currently references Ubuntu, African humanism or Indigenous AI ethics principles. However, the AI Strategy development process repeatedly emphasizes Inclusion, Local culture, Local languages, Social impact and Community participation. These principles align closely with themes found in the AU Continental AI Strategy and African AI ethics discourse.

   Sources au.int (opens in a new tab)

10. E6.10

    Youth participation

    Score 0 / 4

    Emerging but not yet institutionalized

    Note: No dedicated Youth AI Council or Youth AI Advisory Board has yet been established. However, several government-supported digital transformation and innovation programmes include young people through Technology innovation hubs, Skills development initiatives, Startup programmes and Public consultations. The AI Strategy consultation process is designed to be inclusive and has involved broad stakeholder participation.

    Sources fih-sl.com (opens in a new tab)

Mean of all 10 indicator scores. West Africa mean 1.66 · all 54 states mean 1.55.

1. R7.1

   AU AI Strategy alignment

   Score 3 / 4

   Yes – Emerging Alignment, although no official alignment framework or implementation matrix has yet been published.

   Note: Sierra Leone is developing its National AI Strategy after the adoption of the AU Continental AI Strategy in 2024. The government's strategy-development process emphasizes Responsible AI, Inclusive stakeholder participation, AI readiness assessment, Local language and cultural considerations and Digital transformation. These priorities closely mirror the objectives of the AU Continental AI Strategy.

   Sources mocti.gov.sl (opens in a new tab)

2. R7.2

   Kigali Declaration endorsement

   Score 3 / 4

   No publicly verifiable evidence of formal endorsement located.

   Note: There are several international declarations associated with Kigali. For AI governance, the most relevant are recent African digital governance and AI cooperation declarations. A review of publicly available government and AU records did not identify evidence that Sierra Leone has formally endorsed a specific AI-related Kigali Declaration

   Scoring basis Official signatory list applied. Signatory of the Africa Declaration on AI (Kigali, 4 April 2025), C4IR list: "Endorsed" = 3.

   Sources c4ir.rw (opens in a new tab)

3. R7.3

   REC AI governance coordination

   Score 1 / 4

   Participates through ECOWAS digital governance mechanisms, but AI-specific coordination remains limited

   Note: Sierra Leone is a member of ECOWAS. ECOWAS has ongoing initiatives concerning Digital transformation, Cybersecurity, Data governance, and Digital economy development. However, no dedicated ECOWAS AI governance framework has yet been fully operationalized.

   Sources ecowas.int (opens in a new tab)

4. R7.4

   Cross-border AI agreements

   Score 3 / 4

   Emerging multilateral cooperation exists, although no dedicated bilateral AI treaty has been identified.

   Note: The strongest documented cooperation is World Bank Partnership (Sierra Leone is developing its National AI Strategy with support from the World Bank). African Union Processes (Participation in AU digital governance and AI consultations) and UN Digital Governance Programs (Engagement through UNDP-supported digital transformation). initiatives.

   Sources mocti.gov.sl (opens in a new tab)

5. R7.5

   Election integrity AI provisions

   Score 0 / 4

   No AI-specific election provisions identified

   Note: Neither electoral legislation nor regulations issued by the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone specifically address Deepfakes, Synthetic media, AI-generated political advertising, Generative AI election interference nor Automated political microtargeting

   Sources ecsli.org (opens in a new tab)

6. R7.6

   Disinformation response framework

   Score 0 / 4

   No dedicated framework

   Note: Sierra Leone has initiatives addressing Misinformation, Online harms and Information integrity. However, no dedicated policy framework specifically targets AI-generated disinformation, Deepfake content and Synthetic media manipulation. The issue may be addressed in the forthcoming National AI Strategy.

   Sources mocti.gov.sl (opens in a new tab)

7. R7.7

   AI election incidents documented

   Score 1 / 4

   Zero publicly documented incidents (This reflects absence of documented public cases, not necessarily absence of risk.)

   Note: A review of available reports from Electoral authorities, Civil society organizations, International election observers and Media monitoring organizations did not identify verified AI-related election interference incidents in Sierra Leone, especially those relating Deepfake campaigns, AI-generated voter suppression campaigns or Synthetic political impersonation

   Scoring basis Threshold applied. Raw value: 1 (rule band). Scored on documented institutional response, not incident count.

8. R7.8

   Platform content moderation

   Score 0 / 4

   Limited evidence (No formal public engagement mechanism identified)

   Note: No publicly documented agreements were identified between the Government of Sierra Leone and major platforms such as Meta, Google, TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), specifically regarding AI-generated content moderation, Deepfake detection, and Sierra Leone-specific AI safety protocols

   Sources about.meta.com (opens in a new tab)

9. R7.9

   Geneva Dialogue participation

   Score 0 / 4

   No public confirmation available

   Note: As of June 2026, no official statement from the Government of Sierra Leone confirms participation in the July 2026 UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance. However, Sierra Leone's recent engagement in AI strategy development suggests potential participation through MoCTI, AU delegations and UN-supported digital governance initiatives

10. R7.10

    G20/multilateral AI engagement

    Score 2 / 4

    Limited

    Note: Sierra Leone is not a G20 member, not a BRICS member, no evidence of direct participation in OECD AI governance initiatives. However, Sierra Leone actively participation in AU digital governance processes and participation through regional digital economy initiatives (ECOWAS).

    Sources ecowas.int (opens in a new tab)

Mean of all 10 indicator scores. West Africa mean 0.63 · all 54 states mean 0.78.

1. M8.1

   AI governance budget disbursed

   Score 0 / 4

   No publicly reported AI governance budget

   Note: Neither the Government of Sierra Leone nor the Ministry of Communication, Technology and Innovation (MoCTI) has published an AI governance budget; an AI regulatory budget; AI oversight expenditure; nor AI implementation appropriations. Although the National AI Strategy process is supported by the World Bank, no public document currently specifies committed versus disbursed funding for AI governance activities.

   Scoring basis Fellow score kept; no raw value for the threshold.

   Sources mocti.gov.sl (opens in a new tab)

2. M8.2

   Health AI regulation

   Score 0 / 4

   No evidence of AI-specific healthcare regulation

   Note: No Sierra Leone law, regulation, or Ministry of Health guidance currently governs Clinical AI systems, AI-assisted diagnosis, AI-enabled medical devices, Generative AI in healthcare or AI-supported treatment decisions. Sierra Leone is still developing a national AI governance framework, and healthcare-specific AI rules have not yet been published

   Sources mocti.gov.sl (opens in a new tab)

3. M8.3

   Health AI devices approved

   Score 0 / 4

   No publicly documented approvals (This reflects absence of public evidence rather than proof that no such systems exist.)

   Note: No publicly accessible registry was identified showing approved AI medical devices, AI diagnostic tools, machine-learning-based health systems or AI-enabled clinical decision-support software. Neither the Ministry of Health nor national regulatory authorities appear to maintain a publicly available AI health-device approval register.

   Scoring basis Threshold applied. Raw value: 0 (authorised devices). Raw value read from the evidence: "No publicly documented approvals" ["absence of public evidence rather than proof"]. Checked against the evidence on 7 October 2026: confirmed.

4. M8.4

   Government AI system registry

   Score 0 / 4

   No AI registry identified

   Note: No evidence was found that Sierra Leone maintains a government AI inventory, an AI systems registry, a public register of algorithmic systems or a register of high-risk AI deployments. The National AI Strategy process is still under development and no registry mechanism has been announced.

   Sources mocti.gov.sl (opens in a new tab)

5. M8.5

   AI governance M&E reports

   Score 0 / 4

   No evidence recorded.

   Note: Since Sierra Leone's National AI Strategy has not yet been finalized or implemented, no Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) reports on AI governance implementation have been published. The government has published and discussed a Draft AI Readiness Diagnostic Report, but this is a baseline assessment rather than an implementation monitoring report

   Scoring basis Threshold applied. Raw value: 0 (reports).

   Sources mocti.gov.sl (opens in a new tab)

6. M8.6

   Agriculture AI governance

   Score 0 / 4

   No formal agriculture-specific AI governance provisions identified

   Note: No published AI policy currently contains agriculture-specific AI governance provisions covering precision agriculture, AI crop monitoring, agricultural data governance or AI-driven extension services. Agriculture is very likely to become a priority sector under the forthcoming National AI Strategy, but no sector-specific governance framework has yet been released

   Sources mocti.gov.sl (opens in a new tab)

7. M8.7

   Financial services AI governance

   Score 0 / 4

   No formal AI governance framework for financial services identified

   Note: No AI-specific financial-sector framework was identified covering: AI credit scoring, Algorithmic lending, automated financial advice, AI fraud detection governance or AI risk management requirements. No guidance from the Bank of Sierra Leone specifically addressing AI governance was identified.

   Sources afritelligence.com (opens in a new tab)

8. M8.8

   Education AI governance

   Score 0 / 4

   No education-sector AI governance framework identified

   Note: No national education policy currently provides AI-specific governance provisions for student use of generative AI, AI-assisted learning systems, AI assessment tools or educational data governance for AI. The government's digital transformation agenda promotes digital skills development, but dedicated AI governance rules for education have not yet been published.

9. M8.9

   Measurable governance outcomes

   Score 0 / 4

   No measurable protective outcomes yet documented

   Note: No measurable outcomes yet, because Sierra Leone has not yet implemented a formal AI governance framework, there is currently no documented evidence demonstrating outcomes such as reduced algorithmic bias, improved AI transparency, lower AI-related harms, AI compliance audits or AI safety incident reduction. The country is still at the readiness and strategy-development stage.

   Sources mocti.gov.sl (opens in a new tab)

10. M8.10

    WHO AI health guidance adoption

    Score 0 / 4

    No evidence of formal adoption

    Note: The WHO published its Ethics and Governance of Artificial Intelligence for Health guidance in 2021 and continues to encourage member states to incorporate it into national governance frameworks. However, no Sierra Leone government publication, ministry directive, or policy document was identified that formally adopts or incorporates the WHO AI-for-Health guidance.

    Sources who.int (opens in a new tab)