By Ragan M. Conteh

Officials of National Tourism Board, had on Tuesday, December 3, 2024, advocated for domestic funding to be able to undertake certain touristic programs.

The plea came after Sierra Leone Diversification Project ended in 2021.

During the Sub-Appropriation hearing for the 2024 budget held at the Parliament building in Freetown, the Director of National Tourism Board, Fatmata Carew, highlighted the board’s funding challenges.

She stressed the urgent need for financial support to sustain the sector’s development and maximize its potential for national growth.

Fatmata Carew raised particular concerns over the destruction of Lake Sonfon, a culturally significant and environmentally rich site, which has been severely impacted by illegal mining activities perpetrated by foreign entities, including Chinese operators.

She urged the government to address the issue promptly, given the lake’s importance as a cultural heritage site and its potential for boosting tourism in the country.

Located in the Diang Chiefdom, Koinadugu District, in the Northern Province, Lake Sonfon is approximately 350 kilometers northeast of Sierra Leone.

This mountainous lake, situated 850 meters above sea level, is surrounded by hills with diverse vegetation, including open grasslands, savannas, and fringing forests.

The lake is fed by several small streams, and its water levels rise significantly during the rainy season, thus inundating a larger area.

The region experiences annual rainfall ranging from 2,286 to 2,540 millimeters, with temperatures fluctuating between 15–33°C in the dry season and 20–27°C in the rainy season.

Relative humidity at 1500 hours ranges between 40% and 70% throughout the year.

Lake Sonfon holds immense ecological and cultural significance as it serves as a site for traditional ceremonies and cultural expressions among the local communities.

The lake is also an important ecological habitat as evidenced by an Important Bird Area (IBA) survey conducted in 1994, which recorded 115 bird species in the area.

Among these is the Emerald Starling, a rare species with a limited range across Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Côte d’Ivoire. The lake and its surrounding areas supports both forest and savanna species, including common herons and egrets.

Additionally, the region is home to a variety of mammal species, including the threatened Savanna Buffalo.

The area around Lake Sonfon has essential infrastructure.

At Kabala, it is located 60 kilometers to the north, and Bendugu, 40 kilometers to the south, the two towns are the nearest major towns.

A serviceable road leads to Benekoro, a village 8 kilometers from the lake. Kondembaia, the chiefdom headquarters, situated about 5 kilometers away, has a health center. Most settlements in the vicinity have access to clean water through gravity-fed systems.

Fatmata Carew’s appeal to the government with the need to protect and invest in Lake Sonfon and other similar sites.

This is not only to preserve their cultural and ecological value but also to leverage them for sustainable tourism, which could significantly contribute to Sierra Leone’s economy.