By: Andrew Chokpeleh
Freetown,23rd December 2025- Traders in Freetown have expressed growing frustration over the continued delay in opening the newly built Sewa Grounds Market, despite assurances that operations would begin on November 1, 2025. Many say they have completed registration, paid fees, and even opened accounts for annual payments, yet the market remains inaccessible, leaving them stranded on congested streets.
Ibrahim Z. Kargbo, Secretary General of the Sierra Leone Book Sellers Association, said traders were instructed to stop selling on the streets after being promised access to the market. “We filled out the application forms, met all the conditions, but the market is still closed. No one has explained why,” he said. Kargbo noted that traders are struggling along Garrison Street, where heavy traffic from tricycles, motorbikes, and vehicles often drives customers away. He added that the market’s shops and security measures would have offered traders and buyers much-needed protection.
Kargbo further explained that although tables inside the market are not yet ready, traders are willing to pay the required fees to support completion. “We even resolved to issue a cheque to the market management on behalf of our members, but still no access,” he said, stressing that traders are expected to move in as a group rather than individually.
Alie Sesay, who sells ladies’ clothing along Rawdon Street, described the situation as “disheartening.” He said traders continue to face harassment from the Freetown City Council, including being forced off the streets and having goods confiscated. “We were hopeful when told we would move into the Sewa Grounds Market, but three weeks after registration and paying Le 50, nothing has happened,” Sesay said. He added that despite completing all procedures, traders have received no communication on when operations will begin.
Another trader, Alie Easy, confirmed that accounts have already been opened for annual fees, yet the market remains closed. He expressed hope that the facility will eventually serve its intended purpose, but warned that traders are currently enduring serious challenges in unsafe and congested street conditions.
The National Social Security and Insurance Trust (NASSIT) embarked on the construction of the Sewa Grounds Market as an investment project within the Central Business District, intended to generate revenue and ease traffic around Garrison Street, Rawdon Street, Wilberforce Street, and Howe Street. Traders at the old market were asked to vacate during construction, forcing many onto the streets, a move that has worsened congestion in the city center.
