Single Digit, the Benchmarks

 

 

By Alpha Amadu Jalloh

In a nation where the cost of living has become an unbearable burden, the recent announcement by Statistics Sierra Leone that the country’s annual inflation rate fell to 9.38 percent in April 2025 is not just misleading. It is a blatant fabrication. This sudden drop from 13.09 percent in February to 10.71 percent in March, and now to single digits, is being touted as a significant economic milestone. However, this narrative is a calculated attempt to deceive both the citizens of Sierra Leone and international bodies like the International Monetary Fund, IMF.

 

The claim that inflation has dropped to single digits for the first time in nearly four years is being used to paint a picture of economic recovery. Yet this assertion lacks credibility when juxtaposed with the lived experiences of ordinary Sierra Leoneans. The prices of essential commodities remain exorbitantly high. The purchasing power of the average citizen continues to erode. The purported decrease in inflation does not reflect the economic realities on the ground. It is a clear case of paper statistics being weaponised to mask economic hardship.

 

Statistics Sierra Leone’s methodology in calculating inflation rates raises serious concerns. The sudden and steep decline in inflation figures over such a short period is unprecedented. It lacks transparency. There is a glaring absence of detailed data to support these claims. The lack of independent verification further undermines their validity. This manipulation of statistics appears to be a strategic move to align with the IMF’s performance benchmarks. It is an effort to secure financial support under false pretenses rather than through genuine economic transformation.

 

If inflation has truly fallen, why are prices not falling? Why are market traders complaining more than ever before? Why is a bag of rice still unaffordable for many households? These are questions that the so-called official figures cannot answer. The report from Statistics Sierra Leone may please the IMF, but it insults the intelligence and struggles of the people. Sierra Leoneans know the truth. They feel it every time they go to the market, pay for transport, or seek healthcare for a sick child.

 

This government’s obsession with optics over substance has become a dangerous disease. It is not just about political survival anymore. It is about institutionalising lies and calling them development. The Ministry of Finance and Bank of Sierra Leone are complicit in this propaganda. Rather than presenting the grim reality to the people and the IMF, they have chosen to cook numbers that fit a script written in the offices of politicians.

 

In an April 2025 release, Statistics Sierra Leone reported an annual inflation of 9.38 percent, compared to 10.71 percent in March. This was widely circulated in local media and international platforms as a sign of improvement. Yet there is no accompanying evidence of structural reforms or growth in key sectors that would justify such a drop. Agricultural output remains low. The manufacturing sector is nearly nonexistent. The country remains heavily dependent on imports. The Leone continues to depreciate. These are not conditions that support a stable or falling inflation rate.

 

To add insult to injury, the National Revenue Authority has increased taxes on almost every essential item. Electricity tariffs have gone up. Fuel subsidies have been slashed. The government has done nothing to cushion the impact of global price shocks on its population. So how can anyone believe that inflation has fallen? Unless, of course, we are being told that suffering is now a statistical illusion.

 

The manipulation of economic data to meet IMF benchmarks is not only unethical. It also jeopardises the country’s credibility on the international stage. Sierra Leone risks being viewed as a country that cannot be trusted to report facts. It undermines the principle of data integrity and discredits national institutions. What happens when the truth comes out? What happens when these cooked figures are exposed and the IMF realises it was misled? The consequences will not fall on politicians. They will fall on the people, as donor confidence erodes and economic conditions worsen.

 

It is imperative that Statistics Sierra Leone operates with transparency and integrity. The agency must provide detailed methodologies and data sources for its calculations. It must allow for independent audits to verify its findings. Only through honest and accurate reporting can effective policies be developed to address the country’s economic challenges. If the government is truly serious about progress, it must start by respecting the truth. That begins with telling the people exactly what the economy looks like, not what they wish it to look like.

 

This deception is not new. We saw it in previous administrations that manipulated national accounts to gain favour with international partners. The difference now is the scale and boldness of the deception. This regime is not only lying. It is institutionalising dishonesty. It has created a culture of silence, intimidation, and reward for those who support its narrative. Those who dare to question these figures are labelled as enemies of progress. But the real enemies of progress are those who falsify the state of the nation’s economy.

 

We are in a country where the President, his wife, and key cabinet ministers do not rely on the public health system. Their children do not attend government schools. They do not shop in the local markets. They have no idea what the people go through daily. So when they say inflation has dropped, it is not because the price of palm oil has fallen. It is because they have disconnected themselves from the pain of the people. They live in bubbles of privilege and delusion.

 

Single digit inflation may sound like a miracle to those who do not live in Sierra Leone. But to the ordinary man and woman walking the streets of Freetown, Bo, Kenema, or Kambia, it is a slap in the face. It is a cruel joke. It is a betrayal. It is a reminder that those in power have perfected the art of lying while the people perfect the art of survival.

 

The truth is this. There is no economic miracle in Sierra Leone. There is only manipulation. There is no fiscal prudence. There is only political propaganda. There is no people-centred governance. There is only a desperate bid to cling to power. If the international community continues to reward lies with financial bailouts, they too become complicit in the suffering of the Sierra Leonean people.

 

This country needs an economic reset built on truth, not benchmarks designed in air-conditioned conference rooms. We need leaders who will face the facts, however bitter. We need statisticians who serve the truth, not politics. And most of all, we need a citizenry that refuses to accept statistical fraud as progress.

 

Single digit, the benchmarks they celebrate. But single digit or not, the stomach does not lie. The market woman does not lie. The jobless youth does not lie. The truth is out there. And one day, no amount of fake statistics will be enough to cover it up.

 

References

 

1. Statistics Sierra Leone. (2025, May). Consumer Price Index April 2025. Retrieved from: https://www.statistics.sl

 

2. The Sierra Leone Monitor. (2025, May 28). Sierra Leone Drops Inflation to Single Digit: Economic Reality or Political Illusion? Retrieved from: https://www.sierraleonemonitor.com

 

3. Forum News. (2025, May 27). Statistics Sierra Leone Reports Significant Drop in Inflation. Retrieved from: https://forumnews-sl.com

 

4. IMF. (2024, Dec). Sierra Leone: Sixth Review Under the Extended Credit Facility Arrangement. Retrieved from: https://www.imf.org/en/Countries/SLE

 

5. Bank of Sierra Leone. (2025). Monetary Policy Statement Q1 2025. Retrieved from: https://www.bsl.gov.sl

 

6. Africanews. (2024, Nov). Sierra Leoneans struggle as cost of living skyrockets despite official inflation reports.

About the author:

Alpha Amadu Jalloh is a Sierra Leonean author, political commentator, and recipient of the 2025 Africa Renaissance Leadership Award. He is the author of Monopoly of Happiness and a leading voice on governance, justice, and social equity in Sierra Leone.