By: Nana
Appiah Acquaye
Sierra Leone is
strengthening the protection of critical digital infrastructure supporting
essential services in the energy, health, education, and defence and security
sectors as part of its National Digital Transformation Agenda.
The National Cyber Security
Coordination Centre (NC3), in collaboration with the Ministry of Communication,
Technology and Innovation, has developed draft Sector-Specific Critical
Information Infrastructure (CII) Protection Plans for the four priority sectors.
The plans were presented for
stakeholder validation at a workshop held on August 26, 2026, at NatCA Tower,
South Ridge, IMATT.
The initiative is being
supported by the World Bank through the Sierra Leone Digital Transformation
Project, with technical support from KPMG.
Sierra Leone’s increasing
reliance on interconnected digital infrastructure has improved the delivery and
efficiency of public services but has also created new vulnerabilities. Power
grids, hospital records, school examination systems and national security
communications increasingly depend on digital systems, making disruptions
caused by cyberattacks, errors or power failures capable of directly affecting
essential services.
The Cyber Security and Crime
Act 2021 designates critical national information infrastructure, including
communications, banking, utilities and emergency services, as requiring
mandatory protection.
The sector-specific plans
are therefore intended to provide a structured framework for strengthening the
resilience and security of critical systems and ensuring that essential
services can continue to operate in an increasingly digital environment.
The stakeholder validation
process forms part of efforts to ensure that the protection measures reflect
the operational realities and cybersecurity requirements of the priority
sectors.
