Africa-Press – Sierra-Leone. Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio departed Freetown today for Abuja, Nigeria, where he is scheduled to deliver the Commencement Speech at the 12th Convocation Ceremony of Baze University.
The visit also includes a high-level investment forum aimed at deepening economic cooperation with leading African business executives.
Baze University, a prominent private institution in the Nigerian capital, extended the invitation to President Bio in recognition of his government’s focus on education, youth empowerment, and innovation.
As the main speaker for the convocation ceremony, President Bio is slated to deliver a keynote address. In a significant gesture, the University will also honor the President by naming its remodeled Postgraduate School after him: the “JM Bio Post-Graduate School.” The President is expected to lay the foundation stone for the new facility during his visit.
In addition to the university events, the President’s itinerary includes strategic meetings and a business dinner designed to strengthen economic ties between Sierra Leone and Nigeria. These engagements are also framed as part of his duties as Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, focusing on regional trade integration and sustainable investment.
While the official delegation highlighted the trip’s diplomatic and educational importance, the President’s travel immediately drew sharp criticism from opposition figures regarding the cost and frequency of his overseas trips.
Opposition politician Mohamed Kamarainba Mansaray publicly condemned the travel, claiming on social media that this was President Bio’s 29th round-trip flight in 2025.
Mansaray specifically criticized the use of a private aircraft, alleging it was “paid for by the people of Sierra Leone” during a time of severe economic difficulty.
“A time when the average Sierra Leonean cannot afford one decent meal a day. Maada Bio continue to recklessly waste and lavish the country’s money as majority of Sierra Leoneans continues to suffer with economic hardship,” Mansaray wrote, concluding with a plea for the country’s recovery.
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