By Saidu Kargbo
Freetown 12th January 2026 – Major roads across Sierra Leone’s capital continue to deteriorate, with the route leading to Fourah Bay College (FBC), one of Africa’s oldest universities, standing out as a symbol of neglect. Despite years of patchwork repairs, the road remains riddled with potholes and structural damage, forcing the university itself to undertake stopgap measures ahead of annual convocation ceremonies.
In an interview with Truth Newspaper, Director General of the Sierra Leone Roads Authority (SLRA), Eng. Alfred Jalil Momodu, admitted the severity of the problem. “The Fourah Bay College road is one of the roads we have on our priority list,” he said, noting that interventions have been attempted but lasting solutions remain elusive.
The situation is compounded by the long-delayed Leicester Road Project, originally intended to serve as an alternative route to FBC. Successive governments have sidelined the project, leaving the road unmotorable and residents frustrated.
While high-profile urban corridors such as Wilkinson Road and the Hill Cot–Regent Highway showcase modern, durable construction, other critical routes continue to languish. The Tower Hill to Parliament road, which links the legislative and executive branches of government, suffers chronic congestion and surface degradation, raising questions about equity in infrastructural development.
Momodu explained that thorough assessments have been conducted, revealing that some sections can be maintained for a few more years. “With the availability of funds, those are the most critical areas we will complete in combination with others. But for now, they are economically maintainable,” he said.
