After the successful outcome of the six-day “One Nation Reggae Festival”, the Minister of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, Nabeela Tunis, has all the bragging right to play the proverbial lizard as she is the “woman of the moment” in Sierra Leone.
As she recently emphasized, the “One Nation Reggae Festival” was more than just an entertainment event—it was a strategic tourism and investment platform designed to create economic opportunities for local artists and communities. She noted that, “Reggae is not just music; it’s a symbol of global resilience and shared identity…. Sierra Leone and the Caribbean—especially Jamaica—share deep cultural ties reflected in our language, food, and mannerisms. This festival [was] about celebrating that bond.”
Apart from the success of the “One Nation Reggae Festival”, Madam Nabeela Tunis has rebranded the Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Affairs so much so that that Ministry is now one of the jewels in the crown of the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) government. Under her watch, the Gola-Tiwai has been added to the UNESCO World Heritage List, which highlights the Ministry’s dedication to safeguard Sierra Leone’s cultural heritage. Added to that, the successful hosting of the Women in Tourism Regional Congress and the participation in regional and international trade fairs have solidified Sierra Leone’s position in the tourism industry.
At every given opportunity, Madam Nabeela Tunis will not miss the chance to rebrand Sierra Leone. On 29 December 2025, she declared 2026 as the “Year of Culture and Creativity”. This signals a strategic pivot from Sierra Leone’s successful Year of Ecotourism campaign in 2025. The new initiative is designed to harness the nation’s rich cultural heritage and creative industries as engines for unity, economic opportunity, and sustainable development.
Under her leadership, Sierra Leone is charting a bold new course for its tourism and creative sectors. Throughout 2025, Sierra Leone’s tourism authorities placed a strong emphasis on responsible travel, environmental stewardship, and community engagement. The Year of Ecotourism campaign, led by the Ministry of Tourism, promoted eco-friendly experiences and highlighted the importance of safeguarding both natural and cultural resources. This approach not only expanded economic opportunities but also fostered a sense of ownership and pride among local communities, laying a solid foundation for the next phase of national development.
Building on this momentum, the declaration of 2026 as the Year of Culture and Creativity marks a deliberate shift towards celebrating and leveraging Sierra Leone’s diverse traditions, languages, music, arts, and creative skills. Madam Tunis described the initiative as “a powerful national statement of who we are as a people,” emphasizing Sierra Leone’s resilience, innovation, and deep-rooted cultural diversity.
Madam Nabeela Tunis has repeatedly called on Sierra Leoneans at home and abroad, as well as international partners, to actively participate in the year-long initiative. The campaign is designed to be inclusive, reinforcing the idea that tourism and cultural development are shared national responsibilities. This collective approach aligns with Sierra Leone’s broader development priorities and global frameworks on culture, sustainability, and partnership, underscoring the government’s commitment to people-centred progress.
Whilst addressing the 67th Meeting of the UN Tourism Regional Commission for Africa and the 2nd UN Tourism Regional Conference on Brand Africa in Zambia on 22 July 2024, she informed colleague Ministers of Tourism and the African Tourism Community that the Government of Sierra Leone had “embarked on rigorous policy reforms to improve the investment climate including but not limited to tax incentives, ease of business registration and infrastructural development among others”.
At the prestigious ITB High-Level Ministerial Global Roundtable in March 2025, Madam Nabeela Tunis, made a compelling case for Sierra Leone as “an emerging and unique tourism destination”. Speaking at the event, chaired by CNN’s Richard Quest under the theme “Next Chances, Next Challenges,” she described Sierra Leone as “the new kid on the block” in global tourism and a destination rich in authenticity and potential. She also highlighted Sierra Leone’s natural warmth and hospitality as one of its greatest assets, describing the country as “a welcoming place where visitors can feel at home”. She explained that the Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Affairs had been prioritizing sustainable tourism through its “Tourism for All” campaign.
With Madam Nabeela Tunis at the helm of affairs at the Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Affairs; to say that the sky will be the limit would be an understatement: that Ministry will be heading for Mars!