“NOT WAITING FOR TOMORROW”: UNDER DG HAJA MUSAYEROOH BARRIE, SLCAA IS BUILDING THE FUTURE OF AVIATION IN SIERRA LEONEAviation Safety Starts With People
By David K.Fengai
The Sierra Leone Civil Aviation Authority (SLCAA) is undergoing a quiet revolution. And at the center of it is DG Madam Haja Musayeroh Barrie, a leader who believes the future of aviation safety will not be imported. It will be built at home.
“Under DG Madam Haja Musayeroh Barrie, the Sierra Leone Civil Aviation Authority (SLCAA) is not waiting for the future. We are building it,” an official statement from the Authority read this week.
Her strategy is clear: invest in people, raise standards, and put Sierra Leone on the map for aviation safety.
In a recent post on her social media, DG Barrie laid out the blueprint:
“The future of aviation safety lies in developing local expertise. Following aircraft type-specific theoretical training, our young inspectors complete a 30 days OJT in Nigeria, gaining the practical experience and confidence required for effective oversight.”
That hands-on approach is already changing the culture inside SLCAA. Young professionals who once only studied regulations in classrooms are now on tarmacs, in hangars, and in operations rooms — learning by doing, and returning with skills that meet international standards.
The impact goes beyond certificates. By prioritizing local capacity, DG Barrie is reducing reliance on external consultants, cutting costs, and creating career paths for Sierra Leoneans in a technical, high-stakes industry.
She leads with vision, with courage, and with integrity. Under her watch, SLCAA is shifting from compliance to leadership — from catching up to setting the pace.
As regional aviation grows, Sierra Leone is signaling one thing clearly: we will not wait for safety. We will train for it, enforce it, and export it.
