Durrant Pate/ Contributor

Minister of Tourism and Cultural Affairs for Sierra Leone, Nabeela Tunis, who is currently visiting Jamaica, has been building much goodwill in the island, trumpeting the strong bond between the two countries.

In addition, the Minister yesterday joined in Jamaica, commemorating February as Reggae Month, being a part of the official church service at Fellowship Tabernacle, 2 Fairfield Avenue, Kingston 20, delivering a brief message thanking Jamaica for delivering music to the world, recognising the locally developed musical genre for preaching the message of love, hope, peace and fighting oppression. Earlier in the week, she paid a courtesy call on Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett, which underscored the deepening ties between Jamaica and the West African nation. 

Minister Bartlett highlighted his longstanding friendship with Minister Tunis, whom he described as a sister, pointing to years of engagement aimed at strengthening Africa–Caribbean tourism relations, particularly in building resilience and institutional capacity that have underpinned Jamaica’s swift response and recovery following Hurricane Melissa. He also noted that a draft Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) has been shared with Sierra Leone for review, with both nations expressing confidence that it will be finalised and signed this year.

Minister Tunis conveyed condolences for the lives lost during Hurricane Melissa, affirming Sierra Leone’s solidarity with Jamaica and confidence in its robust recovery. She outlined her country’s intent at the direction of President Julius Maada Bio to deepen collaboration with Jamaica, citing initiatives such as the One Nation Reggae Festival, a six-day immersive cultural experience hosted in Freetown in November 2025, and plans for a dedicated Jamaican cultural village in Sierra Leone. 

The Minister also announced that Sierra Leone will commemorate Global Tourism Resilience Day on February 17 with a national seminar and revealed plans to donate US$10,000 from the festival’s proceeds to support Hurricane Melissa victims in Jamaica—an announcement warmly welcomed by Minister Bartlett, who noted that this is a pivotal moment for the reverse diaspora movement to take its place on the global stage.