Freetown, Sierra Leone – The Director General of the National Social Security and Insurance Trust (NASSIT), Mohamed Fuaad Daboh, held a productive meeting with the leadership of the Forces at his Walpole Street office on Thursday, 13th November 2025. The meeting aimed to address challenges and explore ways to enhance the partnership between NASSIT and the Forces, one of the largest constituents of the NASSIT scheme.
During the meeting, Director General Daboh highlighted the significant strides made by NASSIT in improving pension administration, including the digitalisation of the NASSIT system, which has enabled the scheme to bring its services closer to members and process benefits more efficiently. He also emphasized the Trust’s commitment to extending coverage to informal sector workers and expressed appreciation for the President’s unwavering support for social protection initiatives.
The Director General briefed the Forces leadership on the progress made in developing the draft Bill for the national pension scheme, which aims to provide coverage for informal sector workers. He stated that the bill is expected to be laid before Parliament by mid-December 2025, with the scheme becoming operational in the first half of 2026.
The Forces leadership, led by Lieutenant General Amara Idara Bangura, expressed gratitude for the efforts made by NASSIT to improve pension administration and bring services closer to members. They commended the Trust for its commitment to timely processing and payment of benefits, mobile customer service clinics, and stakeholder engagement initiatives.
The meeting also addressed specific challenges faced by the Forces, including the validation of past services for members who were on the Accountant General’s payroll as at 1st January 2002, and the retirement age for military personnel. The Deputy Director General in charge of Operations, Edwin Mohamed Kamara, highlighted the need for discussion on adjusting the retirement age for military personnel from 55 to 60 years.
The meeting concluded with a consensus to hold a joint meeting between NASSIT, the Government, and the Forces to address the challenges and strengthen the partnership. The Forces leadership assured NASSIT of their full support for the review of the NASSIT Act and the operationalisation of the informal sector pension scheme.
