Barclays Bank of Sierra Leone Ltd

Barclays inherited the Colonial Bank's branch at Freetown, which had opened in 1917, and Barclays Bank of Sierra Leone was incorporated locally on 15 March 1971. By 1997 Barclays' holding was 60%. Following periods of closure due to several years of civil warfare (during which many of the regional branches were destroyed), Barclays resolved to withdraw from the country and in 1999 sold a 51% holding to the government, the name of the bank being changed to Rokel Commercial Bank (Sierra Leone) Ltd. The remaining 9% stake was allocated to a BBSL employee share scheme.

Material available at Group Archives: 

• Report and Accounts 1972-1976, 1993
• Minutes 1979-1981
• Other material relating to Sierra Leone can be found within the records of Barclays International