PROFILE OF SIERRA LEONE’S FIRST LADY FATIMA MAADA BIO: FROM KOIDU ROOTS TO CONTINENTAL POWER, THE WOMAN WHO SAYS “EBEMA” — IT WILL SURELY BE:

By David K.Fengai

Dr. Fatima Maada Bio stands today as the First Lady of the Republic of Sierra Leone and President of the Organization of African First Ladies for Development, OAFLAD. Yet her story begins far from state protocol, in Koidu Town, Kono District, where she was born Fatima Jabbe on November 27, 1980, to a Sierra Leonean mother and a Gambian businessman father.

Early Life and Education
Her foundation was built at Ansarul Islamic School and St. Joseph’s Convent Secondary School in Freetown. Pursuing excellence abroad, she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Performing Arts from the Roehampton Institute and a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the London College of Communication — training that would later sharpen both her voice and her pen.

Entertainment, Enterprise and Influence
Before politics, she conquered the screen. As an award-winning British-Sierra Leonean actress, screenwriter, and producer, she gained international acclaim for her role in Mirror Boy. Beyond film, she managed clothing boutiques and tech-related enterprises, proving her acumen in business and creativity.

Marriage and Public Service
On October 25, 2013, she married Julius Maada Bio in London. When he became Sierra Leone’s fifth president, she transformed the Office of the First Lady into a platform for action.

Advocacy That Moves Nations
Her flagship Hands Off Our Girls campaign confronts sexual violence, teenage pregnancy, child marriage, and trafficking, while advancing health awareness and providing free sanitary pads to keep girls in school. Her advocacy earned her a platform at the United Nations General Assembly on development and gender equality. In February 2025, she was elected President of OAFLAD, extending Sierra Leone’s voice across the continent.

The Road Ahead
Now, Dr. Bio has emerged as an aspirant for the SLPP 2028 flagbearer position and the leader of the EBEMA Movement. EBEMA, a Mende word meaning “it will surely be,” captures the resolve behind her mission: that women’s leadership, girls’ protection, and national transformation are not dreams, but inevitabilities.

From actress to advocate, from Kono to Addis, Dr. Fatima Maada Bio embodies grit, grace, and a conviction that the future will surely be written by those bold enough to claim it.