Top 15 Most Famous People from Sierra Leone

Juldeh Jalloh, Vice President of SierraLeone photo by Office of USAID Administrator Wikimedia

Top 15 Most Famous People from Sierra Leone

*Originally published by Ivone in October 2022 and Updated by Vanessa R in October 2022

A nation called Sierra Leone is located on West Africa’s southernmost coast. Guinea and Liberia form its southern and eastern borders, respectively. It envelops the country’s northern half. Sierra Leone has a tropical climate with a variety of landscapes, including savannas and rainforests. As of the 2015 census, there are 7,092,113 people living in the nation.

Freetown is the country’s largest and capital city. Five administrative regions, each of which is further divided into 16 districts, make up the entire nation. There are around 18 different ethnic groups in Sierra Leone; the Temne and Mende peoples are the two biggest and most powerful.

About 2% of the country’s population are Creole people, descendants of freed African-American and Afro-Caribbean slaves. English is the official language used in schools and government administration. Krio is the most widely spoken language across Sierra Leone, spoken by 97% of the country’s population.

1. Idris Elba

Actor and director Idris Elba at the Berlinale 2018  Photo by Harald Krichel Wikimedia

Idris  has been the British actor, musician and DJ. His  working-class parents were  immigrant  from Sierra Leone and Ghana, respectively. He was raised in east London before becoming well-known in America. In addition to playing heroin dealer Stringer Bell on the HBO series The Wire and DCI John Luther on the BBC One series Luther.

He is most recognized for his portrayal of Nelson Mandela in the 2013 historical film Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom. The television and movie star was nominated five times for a Primetime Emmy Award and had four Golden Globe nominations for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film, with one win. The Hollywood star has been supported by moviegoers to replace Daniel Craig as James Bond.

2. Michaela De Prince

Michaela De Prince is a Sierra Leonean-American ballerina and writer.  The  Star Ballerina bears her name as a co-author in a book titled Taking Flight: From War Orphan.

When Michaela De Prince appeared in the 2011 film First Position, which follows her and other ballerinas as they train for the forthcoming Youth America Grand Prix, she gained notoriety.

3. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh

Mohamed  is a Sierra Leonean politician and the current Vice President of Sierra Leone since  2018. Jalloh has been  a political scientist, businessman and a former United Nations official. He  is also a senior member of the Sierra Leone People’s Party.

Jalloh was also program officer with the UN mission in Kosovo and a political scientist by training, began his career with the organization in 2000. Additionally, he has had a position on the board of senior advisers for the UN operation to stabilize the Sahel and Mali.

4. Nzinga Christine Blake

Christine  has been an American / Sierra Leonean actress who hosts on a current Tv. And  has been starred on the Tv series Friday on Cartoon Network, culture click on Litton Weekend Adventure. She has also been involved in national television commercials for sprite and kinkos.

Christine Blake has been currently hosting “culture click” on the television network which is called ‘bounce’. The TV host is also actively involved in numerous initiatives that use entertainment, fashion, and the arts to support youth empowerment in Africa and other poor countries.

5. Franklyn Ajaye

Publicity photo of Franklin Ajaye. He had an earlier career as a musician, but is now a comedian. Photo by A&M Records Wikimedia

Ajaye is a 69 year old stand-up comedian and actor. He was born in Brooklyn, New York though he was raised in Los Angeles by a Sierra Leonean father and American mother. The comedian pursued  stand-up comedy full time after he dropped out of law school.

Franklyn Ajaye  became popular in the 1970s. He also wrote for Emmy-nominated shows and played jazz. Ajaye has appeared in the films car wash, stir crazy and Bridesmaids.

The stand-up comedian received  two Emmy nominations for outstanding Writing for his work on In living color and politically incorrect. He also appeared in the hit comedy Bridesmaids, playing the father of Maya Rudolph’s character Lillian.

6. Marie Esther Bangura

Marie is a Sierra Leonean Beauty pageant titleholder  who won the title of Miss Universe Sierra Leone 2018. She represented Sierra Leone in Miss Universe 2019. The beauty pageant was crowned Miss Universe  Sierra Leone 2018 on the final gala of the pageant that was held in 2018.

7. Ishmael Beah

Ishmael Beah photo by Udoweier Wikimedia

He has been Sierra Leonean author and human right activists rose to fame with his acclaimed Memoir, a Long Way Gone. When his town became engulfed in Sierra Leone’s Civil war in the mid-1990s Beah was a teenager. His most recent novel Little family was published in 2020.

8.Mohamed Kallon

He is a Sierra Leonean International manager and former footballer who played as a striker. Mohammed Kallon has been  widely considered  the most famous footballer from Sierra Leone. He last played for the Sierra Leone club Kallon F.C.

 Mohamed has also made 39 appearances for the Sierra Leone National football team during his career.He is the younger brother of former Sierra Leonean International footballers Kemokai Kallon and Musa Kallon.

9. Kei Kamara

Kei Kamara Photo by Greengeorge Wikimedia

Kamara  has been a Sierra Leonean professional footballer who plays as a striker for CF Montreal of Major league soccer. He has been one of only 10 player to have scored 100 goals in  MLS. Thus achieving the landmark  in 300 appearance.

Kei has been currently third on MLS’s all-time scoring list. He has been named one of the three finalists for both the 2015 MLS Landon Donovan MVP Award and the 2015 Advocare MLS WORKS Humanitarian of the Year Award. Kei Kamara was also  awarded the MLS Humanitarian of the Year Award.

10. Trudy Morgan

Trudy has been the first African woman to be awarded a Fellowship of the Institution of Civil Engineers (FICE) . And she was  the first female Vice President of the Sierra Leone Institution of Engineers.

In 2015, Morgan co-founded the non-profit Sierra Leone Women Engineers, to support women in engineering. Morgan is also the Program Director for Hilton Freetown Cape Sierra Hotel. And a  member of the Professional Engineers Review Council. Including  the UK’s Institution of Civil Engineers International Representative to Sierra Leone.

11. Isha Johansen

Isha Johansen is a pioneer in the world of sports. She was the first woman to be president of a national football association in Sierra Leone. She has made football better in her country and has inspired women worldwide. Johansen faced many challenges when she first became president of the Sierra Leone Football Association. The country was still recovering from a civil war, and football was largely male-dominated. But Johansen was determined to make a change. She worked tirelessly to promote women’s participation in sports and to create a more inclusive environment for all athletes. She also worked to improve the infrastructure of football in Sierra Leone and to develop new programmes for young players.

Johansen’s leadership has had a transformative impact on football in Sierra Leone. The national team is now more competitive, and more women and girls are playing football than ever before. Johansen’s work has also inspired women in other countries to pursue leadership positions in sports. Johansen is a role model for women everywhere. She has shown that women can achieve anything they set their minds to, even in traditionally male-dominated fields. She is a true trailblazer in the world of sports.

12. Dr. Moinina David Sengeh 

Joi Ito, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Dr. Moinina David Sengeh is a brilliant scientist and inventor who has made a significant impact on the field of prosthetics and medical devices. He is from Sierra Leone, and his work is not only innovative but also deeply humanitarian.

Dr. Sengeh combines cutting-edge technology with a deep understanding of human needs to create prosthetic limbs that are functional, comfortable, and aesthetically pleasing. He also designs his products with the specific needs of people who use prosthetics in mind. For example, Dr. Sengeh created a prosthetic limb that uses electrical signals from the wearer’s muscles to control the limb, making it more natural and easier to use.

13. Madieu Williams

original: Keith Allisonderivative: Diddykong1130, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Besides his impressive athletic career, Williams has dedicated his life to serving others and giving back to his community. He actively promotes access to high-quality education and supports various charitable initiatives, making him a beacon of hope for marginalised populations.

Williams’ commitment to changing the world off the field is truly inspiring. He founded the Madieu Williams Foundation, which aims to provide educational programmes in inner-city schools and scholarships to children from disadvantaged backgrounds. He has also used his platform to raise awareness about crucial issues such as voter suppression and police brutality. 

14. Mariatu Kamara 

Mariatu Kamara is a survivor of Sierra Leone’s civil war. She was abducted as a child and forced to become a soldier. She suffered many terrible things, but she never gave up hope. After the war, Kamara wrote a book about her experiences. Her book is called “A Girl Soldier.” In the book, she tells about the horrors of war and the plight of child soldiers. She also writes about her own journey of healing and forgiveness.

15. Hassan Bility

Liberian journalist and human rights advocate Hassan Bility is a bold person. Even at great risk, he is known for calling attention to injustices, corruption, and violations of human rights. Where knowledge tends to be hidden, he serves as a light of truth. Bility demonstrates the value of a free press and the ability of a single person to have a significant impact through his unwavering pursuit of justice.

Globally and in Liberia, Bility’s work has had an immense impact. War crimes, corruption, and other violations of human rights have been brought to light thanks to his investigative work. In promoting the rights of survivors and victims, he has also been a major player.