By Andrew Chokpeleh
Freetown, May 7, 2026 – The Sierra Leone Water Company (SALWACO) says it has turned a corner under the leadership of Ing. Tiideni Hawa Jabbi, who assumed office on November 12, 2025, becoming the first female water engineer to head the institution.
Jabbi’s administration began with a diagnostic review of the utility’s operations, identifying long-standing weaknesses in service delivery and financial management. The findings produced a roadmap for reforms aimed at restoring SALWACO’s mandate of providing reliable water and sanitation services to provincial communities outside the Western Area.
One of the most visible changes has been the overhaul of revenue collection. For years, SALWACO relied on manual spreadsheets in most of its stations, a system prone to errors and inefficiency. Jabbi introduced an integrated smart billing and revenue management platform across all ten operational stations.
The results have been immediate. Between November 2025 and April 2026, the company reported a 15 percent increase in revenue, with record-breaking figures in March and April. For the first time in more than three years, SALWACO reached a financial break-even point, reversing a pattern of expenditure consistently outpacing income.
Beyond finances, the reforms have targeted institutional capacity. Management roles have been streamlined, while new technical staff, including engineers and senior assistants, have been recruited. Jabbi has also emphasized inclusivity, encouraging qualified women to take leadership positions in engineering, a field traditionally dominated by men.
Reflecting on the progress, Jabbi said the reforms are “repositioning SALWACO into a more functional and financially sustainable entity.” The company’s leadership remains confident that continued improvements will strengthen its ability to deliver water and sanitation services across Sierra Leone’s provincial regions.
