By Amin Kef (Ranger)

Madam Musayeroh Barrie, Director General of the Sierra Leone Civil Aviation Authority (SLCAA), has been named among the 10 Most Influential Sierra Leoneans of 2025. The recognition underscores her transformative leadership in a sector that sits at the intersection of safety, economic growth, diplomacy and national image.

The annual Salone Times list celebrates individuals whose decisions and actions have significantly shaped Sierra Leone’s development across governance, business, security, sports, culture and public service. For 2025, Madam Musayeroh Barrie’s inclusion reflects a year of steady, measurable progress in aviation safety, regulatory compliance and passenger growth; gains that have strengthened Sierra Leone’s international standing and renewed confidence in its aviation environment.

Appointed in August 2023, Musayeroh Barrie made history as Sierra Leone’s first female Director General of Civil Aviation and is among the youngest globally to hold the position. In a field long dominated by technical conservatism and male leadership, her appointment signaled a generational shift. Since then, she has steered the sector through post-pandemic recovery while laying foundations for long-term growth grounded in safety, professionalism and strategic planning.

Madam Musayeroh Barrie’s leadership is underpinned by a solid academic and professional background. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, a Master’s degree in Business Administration and a Diploma in Strategic Management and Leadership from the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) in the United Kingdom. Her core competencies include organizational strategy development, strategic data management and marketing strategy formulation; skills that have proven valuable in modernizing a complex regulatory institution.

She is also a certified Aviation Security Professional Manager (AVSEC PM), further strengthening her expertise in aviation security and management. Before her appointment as Director General, Madam Musayeroh Barrie served for over a decade as Country Director for an international aviation security services provider, overseeing security operations at Freetown International Airport. That experience, stakeholders say, gave her a rare blend of regulatory insight and operational understanding.

As Director General of SLCAA, Musayeroh Barrie oversees a technically demanding and strategically vital sector. Aviation, often described as a gateway industry, directly influences tourism, trade, investment and diplomacy. Under her leadership, the Authority intensified regulatory oversight, strengthened coordination with airline operators and reinforced safety management systems aligned with international best practice.

According to Salone Times, Sierra Leone recorded a modest but meaningful increase in air transport activity during the period under review. Official data cited by the paper indicate that nine registered airlines operated in Sierra Leone in 2024, with 127,177 passengers arriving and 120,657 departing. Those figures represent an estimated 5.5 percent increase in incoming passengers compared to 2023, signaling renewed confidence among carriers and travelers alike.

Industry analysts note that such gains are particularly significant for a small aviation market emerging from years of limited connectivity. “Passenger growth is not just about numbers,” one aviation expert observed. “It reflects trust in safety oversight, predictability in regulation and confidence in airport and airspace management.”

At the heart of Madam Musayeroh Barrie’s reform agenda is compliance. Aviation reforms under her watch have focused on strengthening certification processes, ensuring adherence to International Civil Aviation Organization standards and enhancing institutional capacity within SLCAA. Those efforts, stakeholders say, have improved safety oversight and created a more predictable operating environment for airlines.

A landmark achievement during her tenure was the issuance of Sierra Leone’s first Air Operator Certificate (AOC) since 2008; an important regulatory milestone that restored credibility to the certification process. The reintroduction of the national flag carrier, Air Sierra Leone and the revival of direct flights between Freetown and London further signaled a return to international connectivity after years of disruption.

Beyond technical reforms, Madam Musayeroh Barrie has championed a culture of professionalism and accountability within the Authority. By prioritizing staff training, performance management and data-driven decision-making, SLCAA has strengthened its engagement with regional and global aviation partners; an essential step for a country seeking expanded routes and competitive air services.

Madam Musayeroh Barrie’s vision extends beyond immediate operational gains to long-term sector planning. In 2024, SLCAA signed a landmark Management Service Agreement with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a move widely regarded as a vote of confidence in Sierra Leone’s reform trajectory. The agreement paved the way for the development of key policy instruments, including the Civil Aviation Master Plan (CAMP), the National Aviation Safety Plan (NASP) and the National Air Navigation Plan (NANP).

Those frameworks are designed to guide infrastructure development, safety oversight and air navigation services over the coming decades. For policymakers, they provide a roadmap for aligning aviation growth with national development priorities and international obligations.

Musayeroh Barrie’s influence also resonates beyond policy documents and passenger statistics. She has made youth empowerment and gender inclusion central pillars of her leadership. Today, more than 50 percent of SLCAA staff are under the age of 40, with over 40 percent under 35; a demographic shift that reflects her commitment to nurturing the next generation of aviation professionals.

Her advocacy for women in STEM and aviation has earned national recognition, including being named one of the 50 Most Influential Women in Sierra Leone in July 2025. As one of the most visible female leaders in a traditionally male-dominated sector, Madam Musayeroh Barrie’s success carries symbolic weight, offering inspiration to young women aspiring to careers in engineering, aviation management and public administration.

Under Madam Musayeroh Barrie’s stewardship, Sierra Leone has strengthened international aviation partnerships, including cooperation with civil aviation authorities in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and South Africa. Those relationships have enhanced technical exchange, regulatory benchmarking and opportunities for expanded connectivity, positioning Sierra Leone as an emerging hub within the regional aviation ecosystem.

Observers credit her calm, methodical approach for helping the sector navigate post-pandemic recovery challenges while laying foundations for sustainable growth. By balancing regulatory rigor with stakeholder engagement, Madam Musayeroh Barrie has positioned aviation not merely as a transport service, but as a strategic enabler of national development.

The 2025 Salone Times list places Musayeroh Barrie alongside influential figures from parliament, banking, mining, security, sports and media; underscoring aviation’s rising prominence in Sierra Leone’s national conversation. For Government and private sector actors alike, her recognition reinforces the idea that infrastructure governance and regulatory excellence are as critical to development as headline-grabbing megaprojects.

As Sierra Leone looks to deepen regional integration, attract investment and expand tourism, the credibility of its aviation sector will remain vital. Madam Musayeroh Barrie’s inclusion among the nation’s most influential figures sends a clear message: steady reforms, professional oversight and principled leadership can yield tangible results and earn national acclaim.

With continued focus on safety, compliance, innovation and inclusive leadership, stakeholders believe Sierra Leone’s skies are poised for further progress, guided by a Director General whose influence now extends well beyond the runway. https://thecalabashnewspaper.com/slcaa-dg-musayeroh-barrie-named-among-sierra-leones-10-most-influential-figures-of-2025/