Why Resource-Rich Countries Stay Poor | Governance, Power & Public Contracts in Sierra Leone

Why Resource-Rich Countries Stay Poor | Governance, Power & Public Contracts in Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone is rich in natural resources — yet poverty remains part of the narrative. Why?In this episode of Honestly Speaking, Antonia Howard is joined by Andrew Lavali, a governance and public policy expert, for a deep conversation about how poverty is produced and maintained — not just through corruption, but through power, control, and public contracts.This episode examines the hidden layer of governance: who controls revenue, how large public contracts are structured, and why governments often derive little benefit from major infrastructure and resource projects.The conversation explores:Why governance reforms often look good on paper but fail in practiceHow bad public contracts drain state revenue across AfricaWho benefits when oversight is weakWhy changing governments doesn’t always change outcomesWhat real accountability would look like in resource-rich but cash-poor statesDrawing lessons from Sierra Leone and the wider African continent, this episode challenges familiar narratives about poverty and asks harder questions about economic power, elite influence, and institutional culture.This is a must-watch for anyone interested in: governance in Africa, public finance, political economy, development, accountability, and citizen power.#HonestlySpeaking #GovernanceInAfrica #SierraLeone #AfricanEconomy #PoliticalEconomy #PublicContracts #Accountability #DevelopmentDebate

What Kind of Sierra Leone Do We Want?

In conversation with Zainab Bangura, one time presidential aspirant in Sierra Leone and now Director-General of the United Nations Office at Nairobi, we explore values, civic responsibility, and the shared role of leaders, institutions, and citizens in shaping Sierra Leone’s future. Grounded in love for country, the discussion reflects on where we are as a nation, what has gone wrong beyond politics alone, and why reclaiming values such as truth, integrity, accountability, unity, and courage is essential for national renewal. The episode also centres women’s dignity and considers how mindset, silence, and everyday choices influence peace, development, and progress. This is an invitation to honest self-examination, shared responsibility, and hope. Ultimately, it asks a question that belongs to all of us: What kind of Sierra Leone do we want to build?

Part 3 - January 18: What Does Remembrance Ask of Us Now?

In Part Three of this special Honestly Speaking series for National Remembrance Day, the focus turns to prevention — and responsibility. Often repeated, “never again” can sound like a slogan. In this episode, it is treated as a question: what must be done to ensure Sierra Leone never returns to the kind of brutal conflict that defined the civil war? Through reflections from survivors, historians, media practitioners, civic voices, and ordinary Sierra Leoneans, the episode examines unresolved grievances, the risks of forgetting, and the role of leadership, media, and civic education in sustaining peace. The conversation underscores a central truth: peace does not maintain itself. It requires honesty, vigilance, and collective responsibility. This final part brings the series to a close by asking what remembrance truly demands — now, and in the future.

Part 2 - January 18: What Does Remembrance Ask of Us Now?

This is Part Two of our special National Remembrance Day series. In this episode of Honestly Speaking, Antonia Howard picks up a difficult but necessary question: How did a country like Sierra Leone descend into war just thirty years after independence? Building on conversations from Part One at the Peace Museum and the Residual Special Court for Sierra Leone, Part Two brings together voices who lived through the war, documented it as it unfolded, and tried to make sense of it in real time. Featuring reflections from: * Hannah Fullah * Dr. Julius Spencer * Professor Joe A. D. Alie The episode interrogates the causes of the war — governance failures, inequality, youth marginalisation — and asks what happens when history is misunderstood, ignored, or passed on in fragments.

January 18: What Does Remembrance Ask of Us?

January 18 is National Remembrance Day in Sierra Leone.But what does remembrance really ask of us?In Part 1 of this special Honestly Speaking series, journalist and creative storyteller Antonia Howard begins a journey into memory, accountability, and unfinished questions from Sierra Leone’s civil war.This episode starts at the Residual Special Court for Sierra Leone and the Peace Museum — places where truth was documented, responsibility examined, and history preserved. Through conversations with Joseph Kaifala and Marie Bob Kandeh, we explore why remembrance was one of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s key recommendations, and why memory matters beyond ceremonies and speeches.Part 1 sets the foundation for deeper conversations to come: about survivors, justice, youth, leadership, and the risk of forgetting.🎧 This episode is presented in parts.Part 2 continues the conversation with survivors, historians, media voices, and ordinary Sierra Leoneans reflecting on what was lost — and what must never be repeated.🕯️ Honestly Speaking is a podcast about honest conversations on the issues shaping our lives.Music Credits:Parade of Champions - Soundstripe LLCCourtesy of Wondershare Filmora, used with permission