Freetown, Monday, 16th June 2025 – In a bid to strengthen local disaster management, the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA), with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), has completed the establishment and training of Chiefdom Disaster Management Committees (CDMCs) across 16 chiefdoms in Kono and Tonkolili Districts.
The initiative is enshrined in Part V of the NDMA’s Act of 2020, which mandates the creation of disaster committees at all administrative levels. The CDMCs are expected to serve as frontline structures in disaster preparedness, early response, and risk reduction in their communities vulnerable to natural and man-made hazards.
Each CDMC is chaired by the Paramount Chief of the chiefdom and an NDMA Chiefdom Coordinator who serves as Secretary. Other members include representatives from the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces, Sierra Leone Police, Office of National Security, Red Cross Society, District Councils, Civil Society, youth and women’s groups, teachers, market women, and okada riders among others.
The training, hosted in Koidu New Sembehun City, Tankoro Chiefdom, Kono District and in Magburka Town, Tonkolili District attracted wide community participation. The training focused on key disaster management components including risk assessments, hazard profiling, early warning systems, contingency planning, and risk communication.
Engineer Francis Maada Salia, Director of Risk Reduction and Preparedness at NDMA, emphasized the value of local knowledge in disaster prevention. “Risk knowledge empowers communities to implement tailored mitigation strategies,” he noted.
Kai Banyaa, NDMA’s Chief of Operations, expressed gratitude to UNDP and highlighted that the selected chiefdoms were identified based on a vulnerability assessments and community readiness that was conducted by the NDMA. He reaffirmed NDMA’s commitment to ensuring that all communities are integrated into the national disaster response framework.
The participating chiefdoms in Kono include Fiama, Gbane, Gbense, Kamara, Lei, Nimikoro, Nimiyama, and Tankoro. In Tonkolili, they include Tans, Dansogoia, Kholifa, Kunike Fulawasu, Yele, Yoni Mamaili, Malal, and Kalanthuba.
Traditional leaders welcomed the initiative. Paramount Chief Bai Kafari Sumbali II of Kunike Fulawasu emphasized the need to tackle deforestation, illegal mining, and bush burning, while Paramount Chief Paul Gaba Saquee of Tankoro called for continued technical support and resources to strengthen CDMC operations at the local level.
This initiative marks a critical step in building community resilience and a proactive culture of disaster preparedness across Sierra Leone, positioning CDMCs as vital actors in the country’s broader disaster risk management architecture.
