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AI regulation in Sierra Leone: laws & policy (2026)

AI in Sierra Leone: no framework.

Sierra Leone currently has no comprehensive AI law, no sectoral AI rules, and no formally adopted national AI strategy or binding AI principles. The government, through MoCTI and the World Bank's Digital Transformation Project, launched a National AI Readiness Assessment in October 2025 whose findings are intended to guide a forthcoming National AI Strategy. Foundational legal infrastructure (notably a data protection law) is also still only at the bill stage, leaving AI governance largely undefined.

Last verified Official sources first · MethodologyCompare Sierra Leone with other countries

Legal framework

No AI-specific law, regulation, or adopted national AI strategy. AI is touched on only obliquely by the National Innovation & Digital Strategy (2019-2029) and the Cyber Security and Crime Act, 2021; a dedicated National AI Strategy is under development by the Ministry of Communication, Technology and Innovation (MoCTI) following a World Bank-supported AI Readiness Assessment launched in 2025.

Key points: artificial intelligence in Sierra Leone

  1. No dedicated AI legislation

    Sierra Leone has not enacted any AI-specific statute. The Cyber Security and Crime Act, 2021 is the closest in-force technology law but addresses cybersecurity and cybercrime, not artificial intelligence governance.

    parliament.gov.sl etaandassociates.com

  2. AI Readiness Assessment underway

    In October 2025, MoCTI and the World Bank, via the Sierra Leone Digital Transformation Project, launched a National AI Readiness Assessment evaluating three pillars, Compute (infrastructure), Capacity (skills) and Context (policy and regulation), to inform future policy.

    techafricanews.com ecofinagency.com

  3. National AI Strategy forthcoming, not yet adopted

    Insights from the readiness assessment are explicitly intended to guide the development of Sierra Leone's forthcoming National AI Strategy; no finalized, in-force standalone AI strategy currently exists.

    iafrica.com techafricanews.com

  4. AI sits within broader digital strategy

    The DSTI/MoCTI National Innovation & Digital Strategy (2019-2029) frames AI as part of the country's digital-development agenda rather than as a governed domain with rules or oversight mechanisms.

    dsti.gov.sl mocti.gov.sl

  5. No data protection law yet (key AI precondition)

    Sierra Leone has no enacted data protection statute; a Data Protection and Right to Access Information Bill (aligned with the EU GDPR and AU Malabo Convention) completed national validation and awaits Cabinet and Parliament, leaving a gap in AI-related privacy safeguards.

    dataprotection.africa moice.gov.sl

  6. Capacity-building, not regulation

    Current government activity centers on training officials on AI, cybersecurity and emerging technologies (via MoCTI, DSTI and the National Cybersecurity Coordination Centre) and innovation events, rather than issuing binding AI rules or enforceable guidelines.

    ayvnews.com mocti.gov.sl

Sources

  1. techafricanews.com/2025/10/03/sierra-leone-launches-groundbreaking-ai-readiness-assessme
  2. ecofinagency.com/news-digital/0310-49267-sierra-leone-world-bank-launch-ai-readiness-a
  3. iafrica.com/sierra-leone-launches-national-ai-readiness-assessment-with-world-ban
  4. mocti.gov.sl/
  5. dsti.gov.sl/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Sierra-Leone-National-Innovation-and-Digit
  6. parliament.gov.sl/uploads/acts/THE%20CYBERSECURITY%20AND%20CRIME%20ACT,%202021%20-%20%2
  7. etaandassociates.com/our-thinking/the-ai-regulatory-framework-in-africa-a-focus-on-sierra-
  8. dataprotection.africa/sierra-leone/
  9. moice.gov.sl/nationwide-consultations-begin-on-sierra-leones-first-data-protection
  10. ayvnews.com/government-officials-trained-on-cybersecurity-aiemerging-technologies

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Orientation, not legal advice: verify against the primary sources linked above. Last verified 24 May 2026. Methodology & how to cite · State of Technology Regulation 2026