The Director General of the Sierra Leone Ports and Harbours Authority (SLPHA), Yankuba Askia Bio, has on Monday January 13, 2026 held strategic engagements with officials of the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (UKHO), the designated primary authority conducting nautical chart surveys in Sierra Leone.
The UKHO delegation was accompanied by representatives from the Sierra Leone Maritime Administration (SLMA). The meeting was aimed at strengthening collaboration and formalizing UKHO’s operational mandate in Sierra Leone, with a focus on enhancing maritime navigation and safety through improved hydrographic data.
According to SLPHA, the UKHO’s mandate includes conducting nautical chart surveys along Sierra Leone’s riverine and coastal waterways, while also providing technical training and equipment to support national hydrographic surveying capacity.
Welcoming the delegation, Yankuba Askia Bio said activities at the Freetown Port have increased considerably, driven by improved operational efficiency and productivity. He explained that the rise in port volume has made it necessary for SLPHA to pursue expansion plans, including the construction of additional berths and the establishment of Inland Container Depots (ICDs) across the country.
Yankuba Askia Bio noted that the planned developments would help accommodate the growing number of discharged containers while easing congestion at the Freetown Port, thereby strengthening overall port performance and logistics efficiency.
The engagement featured a round-table discussion involving officials from SLPHA, SLMA and UKHO, during which key areas of cooperation were outlined. These include the collection and provision of hydrographic and marine geospatial data, as well as joint efforts to raise standards in hydrography, cartography and maritime navigation.
Other highlighted collaboration areas included enhancing marine safety and promoting environmental protection through improved nautical charting, while also expanding technical and infrastructural support such as training programmes and the provision of specialized equipment.
The United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (UKHO) is the United Kingdom Government’s authority on hydrography, responsible for producing vital marine geospatial information, nautical charts and navigation guidance to support the Royal Navy, merchant shipping and other maritime users worldwide.
UKHO fulfils international safety obligations under the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Convention and plays a crucial role in supporting maritime security and efficient global trade through internationally recognized hydrographic standards.
Based in Taunton, Somerset, the UKHO operates as a Ministry of Defence Trading Fund and maintains an extensive hydrographic archive. It also leads global efforts in setting standards for hydrography and cartography and remains the principal authority undertaking nautical chart surveys in Sierra Leone.
SLPHA said the engagement marks an important step in strengthening maritime cooperation and ensuring Sierra Leone’s waterways are charted to global standards to support safe navigation, port expansion and improved maritime operations.
