By Amin Kef-Ranger
The Sierra Leone Labour Congress (SLLC) has described the worsening congestion at the Queen Elizabeth II Quay in Freetown as a national emergency requiring urgent intervention, warning that the situation is affecting workers, businesses, road users and the wider economy.
The Congress consequently called for the speedy completion of the Kent Harbour and Logistics Port, commonly known as the Gento Port, urging the Government to honour its agreed commitments to the Gento Group and help accelerate construction of the alternative port facility.
The call was made on Monday, September 7, 2026, during a visit by SLLC executives to the project site at Kent. The delegation assessed the progress of construction and examined the port’s potential contribution to trade, employment and economic development.
SLLC President, Mohamed Salieu Bangura, said the visit followed his earlier reference to the project in his maiden Labour Day address. He explained that the Congress wanted firsthand information about the project and its capacity to address Sierra Leone’s growing trade and transportation challenges.
Mohamed Salieu Bangura said he was impressed by the development at the site but maintained that completing the facility had become increasingly urgent because of the mounting pressure on the Queen Elizabeth II Quay.
“Wherever there is congestion, it is an emergency situation and it must be treated urgently,” he said, calling for the necessary financial, technical and institutional support to complete the Kent port.
According to Mohamed Salieu Bangura, congestion around Freetown’s main port has become a serious obstacle to the smooth movement of people, goods and commercial traffic.
He said heavy-duty vehicles transporting containers through densely populated communities in the eastern part of Freetown were contributing to severe traffic congestion and creating safety concerns for motorists, pedestrians and residents.
The SLLC President also expressed concern about the lengthy delays faced by importers in clearing and transporting their goods. He warned that prolonged congestion could raise the cost of doing business, disrupt trade and undermine national productivity.
Mohamed Salieu Bangura said some goods are delayed for weeks before reaching their destinations, creating financial difficulties for traders, importers and other businesses.
Workers were equally affected, he added, because many spent excessive time travelling between their homes and workplaces due to traffic associated with port operations.
“I spent over an hour travelling to the city centre because of the traffic caused by the congestion at the port,” Mohamed Salieu Bangura said.
He noted that workers who arrived late, exhausted or frustrated because of persistent traffic problems might be unable to perform at their best, thereby affecting workplace productivity.
For the Labour Congress, Mohamed Salieu Bangura stressed, the issue extends beyond constructing another port and directly concern employment, workers’ welfare, trade and national economic performance.
“We are concerned about jobs, the economy and the welfare of our members. Therefore, any area where there is congestion is an emergency. We want trade to flow fast,” he stated.
Mohamed Salieu Bangura said the Kent port could provide traders and importers with an alternative facility, improve accessibility and reduce pressure on the existing port.
He added that Sierra Leone’s growing population, expanding commercial activities and increasing volume of imports made additional port infrastructure increasingly necessary.
The Labour Congress President also highlighted the project’s employment potential, saying a capital-intensive development of such scale could create thousands of direct and indirect jobs while stimulating businesses around the project area.
He explained that employment generated by the port would have a multiplier effect on the economy because workers would spend their earnings on food, education, housing, transportation and other essential services.
SLLC Secretary General, Max Conteh, supported the call for the project to be expedited, noting that the organisation had been following its development because of its potential to promote local content, create employment and contribute to economic growth.
Max Conteh said the Labour Congress wants to ensure that Sierra Leoneans benefit from major investments through jobs, opportunities for local businesses and other economic activities.
According to him, the Kent Harbour and Logistics Port could employ more than 1,000 workers and encourage the establishment of factories and other businesses around the facility, creating further employment and investment opportunities.
He also described congestion at the existing port as an emergency that requires immediate attention, arguing that lengthy delays in moving goods are affecting importers, disrupting trade and slowing economic activity.
“If we don’t have a second port, it will slow down the economy,” Max Conteh warned.
He clarified that the objective of developing an additional port is not to undermine the Queen Elizabeth II Quay but to complement it, expand the country’s port capacity and improve the overall flow of trade.
Max Conteh said the new facility could also reduce the number of heavy-duty trucks using roads around the existing port, helping to ease traffic congestion and improve public safety.
He maintained that Sierra Leone could not continue relying indefinitely on one main port, especially in the face of population growth, increased business activity and a rising volume of imports.
The SLLC Secretary General therefore appealed to the Government to give the project serious attention and provide the financial, technical, administrative and institutional support required to complete it.
Project developer, Mohamed Gento Kamara, said the Kent Harbour and Logistics Port has come at a critical time, considering the pressure on existing port infrastructure in Sierra Leone and across the wider sub-region.
Mohamed Gento Kamara disclosed that the project is estimated to cost US$75 million, with approximately US$30 million already invested. He said an estimated US$45 million would be required to complete the outstanding work.
According to him, the company already possesses significant machinery and manpower for construction, which could allow additional financing to be directed mainly towards completing the remaining infrastructure.
Mohamed Gento Kamara identified financial constraints as the principal challenge preventing the project from reaching completion and expressed hope that the Government would fulfil its agreed commitments to the development.
The Labour Congress visit has added momentum to calls for urgent measures to address congestion at the Queen Elizabeth II Quay and strengthen Sierra Leone’s trade infrastructure.
With workers, businesses, transport operators and communities increasingly affected by congestion and the movement of heavy container vehicles through Freetown, the SLLC believes that completing the Gento Port could provide additional capacity, improve trade flows, create jobs and stimulate wider economic growth.
For the Labour Congress, developing additional port capacity is no longer merely an infrastructure ambition but an urgent economic necessity requiring decisive action from the Government and other stakeholders.
