Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr


Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, OBE is a Sierra Leonean politician, and the current mayor of Freetown, Sierra Leone.

Early life and education

She attended St. Joseph's Secondary School in Freetown where she was Head Girl and Loreto House Captain.
She graduated with honors from Fourah Bay College in 1988 where she earned bachelor's degree in Economics. At university, Aki-Sawyerr was active with AIESEC and she became the first African on AIESEC's Brussels-based International Exchange Committee in 1988.
She earned a master's degree in International Relations and Politics of the World Economy at the London School of Economics and Political Science. In 1993, she received her certification from the Institute of Charted Accountants in England and Wales.

Political career

Aki-Sawyerr was recognized for her work during Sierra Leone's Ebola crisis with an Ebola Gold Medal by Ernest Bai Koroma in December 2015. She was also made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II in January 2016.
She became Mayor of Freetown in 2018, winning a total of 309,000 votes representing 59.92% of the community.

Personal life

Aki-Sawyerr is married and has two children.