By: Benedict AbuBakarr Conteh
When a claim surfaced that “The Lungi Bridge is not a manifesto commitment rather, President Bio’s aspiration,” it immediately raised questions about the blurred line between campaign promises and political rhetoric in Sierra Leone. This was not just a semantic debate; it spoke to whether one of the country’s most symbolic infrastructure projects had been honestly presented to the public.
DUBAWA sets out to investigate: Was the Lungi Bridge truly a campaign commitment, or merely a personal aspiration of the Sierra Leonean President, Julius Maada Bio?
The answer takes us back to 2018, when Bio campaigned on a political platform promising transformative infrastructure under his “2018 New Direction Manifesto”.
Among his flagship promises was the construction of a bridge linking Freetown to Lungi, the site of Sierra Leone’s international airport.
This fact-check seeks to clarify the facts by analyzing government documents, campaign materials and media reports, as against unverified social sentiments.
For decades, the treacherous and time‑consuming ferry or boat journey across the estuary had been a source of frustration for travellers and residents.
Bio’s pledge of a seven to eight kilometres bridge costing up to $1.5 billion was not just a development plan; it became a symbol of progress. It appeared in public campaign speeches and was referenced as part of his long‑term national vision.
The Lungi Bridge, a proposed seven to eight kilometres bridge connecting Sierra Leone’s capital, Freetown, to the Lungi Peninsula where the country’s sole international airport sits, is one of the most symbolic infrastructure projects in the country’s recent history. For years, the lack of a direct road link has frustrated citizens and hindered economic development. When President Bio took office in 2018, he pledged to build this bridge, promising a transformative infrastructure boost for Sierra Leone.
But by 2024, a different narrative emerged: the claim that the Lungi Bridge was never a formal manifesto commitment, but rather a personal aspiration of President Bio. This shift sparked questions around political accountability, governance transparency, and trust in public promises. This fact-check seeks to clarify the facts by analyzing government documents, campaign materials and media reports, as against social sentiments.
Why It matters
On Tuesday, August 6, 2024, at a press briefing in the Parliament Administrative Building, Presidential Spokesperson Alhaji Alpha Kanu announced that the Lungi Bridge is “not part of President Bio’s current agenda.” He cited financial impracticality due to minimal traffic and indicated that although investor discussions were ongoing, the project was no longer a priority. Instead, the government was focusing on its “Big 5 Game Changers” agenda.
In September 2024, Deputy Minister of Information, Abdel Aziz Bawoh, reaffirmed that the bridge remains an “aspiration”, not a manifesto centrepiece. He confirmed discussions continue with private investors and stressed President Bio’s passion for the project, but explicitly stated it was not part of Bio’s manifesto.
When duty bearers made such claims, it raised questions. Have citizens been fooled by a promise made by Bio when he was the then Presidential candidate of the Sierra Leone People’s Party? Or are they shifting the game due to failure to deliver on a promise made in 2018?
An infographic designed using Adobe Photoshop 2023 shows timelines of the Lungi Bridge issue from 2018 to 2025.
2018 – The “New Direction” manifesto and the bridge promise
An examination of the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) New Direction manifesto of 2018 archived and accessible here reveals that the idea of constructing a bridge linking Freetown to Lungi was not merely speculative political rhetoric but an explicit policy commitment and campaign promise. In the section dedicated to tourism development, the document lists a series of targeted actions under its “Developing Infrastructure” agenda. Among these, it unequivocally states the intention to “facilitate the construction of a toll bridge to link Freetown and Lungi Airport” SLPP Manifesto, 2018, page. 31.
But this was not the only mention of the bridge. Under the chapter on Lands, Housing, and Country Planning, the manifesto further underscored its intention to: “Pursue the feasibility of extending the limits of the capital of Freetown by the construction of a modern toll bridge linking Freetown with Lungi.” SLPP New Direction Manifesto, 2018, page. 89.
This dual placement in both the tourism and housing development agendas demonstrates that the Lungi Bridge was envisaged not just as an access route to the airport but as a cornerstone for urban expansion, national planning, and economic transformation in the West African country.
This confirms that the bridge was indeed part of Bio’s formal campaign promises.
Yet, nearly seven years after the manifesto’s publication, the question remains: what tangible progress has been made toward this pledge? While feasibility studies and investor discussions have been reported, the physical realization of the bridge remains elusive. For many Sierra Leoneans, the Lungi Bridge continues to exist more in political speeches than in concrete and steel.
2019 – Request for expressions of Interest
In 2019, the government signaled movement beyond rhetoric by issuing a Request for Expressions of Interest (EOI) for potential developers of the bridge, indicating steps towards project feasibility and planning. The year 2019 marked a pivotal moment for the long-debated Lungi Bridge project, as the government transcended mere political discourse to demonstrate a concrete commitment to its realization.
This significant shift was underscored by the official issuance of a Request for Expressions of Interest (EOI) to prospective developers. This critical procedural step served as a powerful signal, moving the project from abstract discussions and conceptual aspirations into a phase of tangible action and detailed preparation.
The issuance of the EOI was not merely a bureaucratic formality; it was the foundational move that paved the way for subsequent, more intensive phases of the project lifecycle. These phases would include rigorous feasibility assessments, comprehensive environmental and social impact studies, detailed engineering designs, and intricate financial modeling. By inviting EOIs, the government sought to gauge global interest from experienced developers, evaluate their technical and financial capacities, and identify potential partners capable of undertaking a project of such immense scale and national importance.
This development garnered substantial attention across various media outlets at the time as seen here, here, here, here, here and here.
2021 – Pre-feasibility study and budget announcement
During his May 2021 State of the Nation Address, President Bio announced that a pre-feasibility study had been completed, with costs estimated at around US $1.2 billion, down from earlier estimates of $2 billion. He also noted that a developer had been identified, and parliamentary approval was anticipated.
Screenshot of the state opening of the Fourth Session of the Fifth Parliament of the Second Republic of Sierra Leone in the Parliament chamber.
The president was speaking at the State opening of the Fourth Session of the Fifth Parliament of the Second Republic of Sierra Leone in the Chamber of Parliament Building, in Freetown.
In this video, the President made this statement regarding the Lungi bridge, “My Government has completed the pre-feasibility study of the Lungi Bridge and the cable-stayed design concept has been reviewed to reduce the total cost of the bridge to $1.2 billion. A developer to finance the bridge construction has also been identified and once ratified by Parliament, work will start”.
Read the full statement here.
December 2023 – MoU with China Road and Bridge Corporation
The ambitious Lungi Bridge project, a long-standing developmental project for Sierra Leone, took a significant step forward on December 1, 2023. On this pivotal date, the Sierra Leonean government formalized its commitment to the bridge's construction by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with two key international entities: the China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) and the Atépa Group.
This monumental undertaking is envisioned as a public-private partnership (PPP), a collaborative financing and operating model that harnesses both government resources and private sector expertise and capital. The estimated cost for the Lungi Bridge is a substantial $1.5 billion, underscoring the scale and complexity of the proposed infrastructure.
August 2024 – Shift in narrative
The proposed Lungi Bridge, once a significant point of discussion and anticipation, faced a pivotal re-evaluation in August 2024. During this period, the government’s official spokesperson, Alhaji Alpha Kanu, issued a definitive public statement, clarifying that the Lungi Bridge project was explicitly “not part of President Bio’s current agenda.” This announcement was not arbitrary; it was underpinned by concrete concerns regarding the project's viability. Alhaji Kanu specifically highlighted two primary deterrents: the existing traffic volumes, which apparently did not justify the immense investment required for such a large-scale infrastructure project, and the overarching issue of the project's cost-effectiveness.
This public declaration marked a significant and unambiguous shift in the government's stance, effectively reframing the Lungi Bridge from an immediate and committed undertaking to a more distant and abstract long-term aspiration. This recalibration of the project's status indicates a strategic re-prioritization of national development initiatives, acknowledging both fiscal prudence and a realistic assessment of immediate infrastructural needs versus future possibilities.
June 2025 – MoU with Acrow Corporation (U.S.)
The ambitious Lungi Bridge project, a key promise in the nation's infrastructure development agenda, saw a significant step forward in mid-2025 with the signing of a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). This agreement was forged with Acrow Corporation, a U.S.-based engineering firm renowned for its expertise in large-scale bridge construction. The chosen financial model for this colossal undertaking is Build-Own-Operate-Transfer (BOOT). Under this arrangement, Acrow Corporation is expected to secure the necessary financing, construct the bridge, operate it for a specified period to recoup its investment and generate profit, and ultimately transfer ownership to the government.
However, despite this apparent progress, crucial details surrounding the project remain shrouded in public uncertainty. The specific timeframe for the bridge's construction remains undisclosed, leaving citizens and stakeholders without a clear timeline for its completion. Furthermore, the exact amount of upfront capital, if any, that the government is obligated to contribute towards the construction of the bridge has not been made public. This lack of transparency regarding financial commitments and project timelines raises questions about the full scope and implications of the BOOT agreement, leaving the public eager for more detailed information on a project that holds significant implications for the nation's economic and social landscape.
GoSL Signs MoU with Acrow Corporation for Lungi Bridge Construction
Comparative context: Infrastructure promises in Sierra Leone
Over the years, Sierra Leone’s presidents have made several high-profile infrastructure promises that are yet to materialize. Under Ernest Bai Koroma as President in 2007–2018, one of the most ambitious projects was the construction of the Mamamah International Airport, a $318 million Chinese‑funded facility meant to replace Lungi Airport, but the project was cancelled in 2018 as financially unsustainable.
This cancellation was also partly influenced by findings from the Governance Transition Team (GTT), which raised concerns about late-stage deals signed by the outgoing administration.
According to the GTT Report of 2018, one of the recommendations was for the review of all contracts and financial transactions entered into by the former APC Government in the six months before elections were held in March 2018. These include the contract for Mamamah Airport, several defence contracts, the sale of Government quarters and other properties, and the purchase of vehicles for Paramount Chiefs.
Koroma also pledged extensive road and bridge upgrades, including the Bo–Mattru Jong, Makeni–Kamakwie, and Kenema–Zimmi corridors, but many of these remain in poor condition or incomplete.
In this video, a resident pleads for the bridge linking Kamakwie and Makeni to be amended due to its deteriorating condition.
Similarly, current President Bio has made a number of major promises that remain stalled. Foremost is the Lungi Bridge, billed as a transformative 7-8 km link between Freetown and Lungi; despite multiple announcements and signed agreements with the China Road and Bridge Corporation in 2023 and Acrow in 2025, no construction has started.
The much‑touted Bumbuna II hydropower project, expected to add 143 MW of capacity, remains under development with completion pushed to at least 2026.
These unfulfilled projects underscore a broader pattern in Sierra Leone where large‑scale infrastructure initiatives are often derailed by financing challenges, weak institutional capacity, and shifting political priorities, leaving communities disappointed and promises unkept.
To many citizens, the Lungi Bridge remained a promise deferred somewhere between political aspiration and tangible commitment.
The assertion that the Lungi Bridge was never a manifesto commitment is demonstrably UNTRUE. President Bio consistently and explicitly pledged his commitment throughout his campaign, integrating it unequivocally into his broader manifesto platform. These were not mere off-hand remarks but prominent and recurring promises that served as a cornerstone of his electoral bid, signalling a clear intention to prioritize and deliver this infrastructure project if elected.
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