Labour Congress Declares Port Congestion an Emergency, Backs Speedy Completion of Gento Port

By Amin Kef-Ranger

FREETOWN, Sierra Leone — The Sierra Leone Labour Congress (SLLC) has described worsening congestion at the Queen Elizabeth II Quay in Freetown as a national emergency, calling for urgent measures to ease pressure on the country’s main port and surrounding roads.

The Congress has also called for the speedy completion of the Kent Harbour and Logistics Port, commonly known as the Gento Port, urging the Government to honour its commitments to the Gento Group and help accelerate construction of the alternative facility.

The call was made on Monday, September 7, 2026, during a visit by SLLC executives to the project site in 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 said the Congress wanted firsthand information about the development and its potential to address Sierra Leone’s growing trade and transportation challenges.

Bangura said he was impressed by the progress made at the site but stressed that completing the facility had become increasingly urgent because of 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 Bangura, congestion around Freetown’s main port has become a serious obstacle to the movement of people, goods and commercial traffic.

He said heavy-duty trucks 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 lengthy delays faced by importers in clearing and transporting their goods. He warned that prolonged congestion could increase the cost of doing business, disrupt trade and undermine national productivity.

Some goods, he said, are delayed for weeks before reaching their destinations, creating financial difficulties for traders, importers and other businesses.

Workers are also affected, Bangura added, with many spending excessive amounts of time travelling between their homes and workplaces because of 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,” he said.

Bangura noted that workers who arrive late, exhausted or frustrated because of persistent traffic problems may be unable to perform at their best, potentially affecting workplace productivity.

For the Labour Congress, he said, the issue goes beyond the construction of another port and directly concerns 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 said.

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 SLLC 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.

Employment generated by the port, he explained, could have a multiplier effect on the wider economy, as workers 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, saying the organisation had been following its development because of its potential to promote local content, create employment and contribute to economic growth.

Conteh said the Labour Congress wants to ensure that Sierra Leoneans benefit from major investments through employment, opportunities for local businesses and other economic activities.

According to Conteh, 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 requiring 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,” 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 Sierra Leone’s port capacity and improve the overall flow of trade.

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, particularly in the face of population growth, increased business activity and rising import volumes.

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.

$75 Million Project

Project developer Mohamed Gento Kamara said the Kent Harbour and Logistics Port had come at a critical time, given the pressure on existing port infrastructure in Sierra Leone and across the wider sub-region.

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 works.

According to Kamara, the company already has significant machinery and manpower available for construction, meaning additional financing could be directed mainly towards completing the remaining infrastructure.

He 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 adds momentum to growing 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 trucks through Freetown, the SLLC believes completing the Gento Port could provide additional port capacity, improve trade flows, create jobs and stimulate wider economic growth.

For the Labour Congress, developing additional port capacity is no longer simply an infrastructure ambition but an urgent economic necessity requiring decisive action from the Government and other stakeholders.