The northern city of Port Loko will never be the same again as a daughter of the soil, Natasha Beckley, prepares to run for Mayor of this very important city in the northwest of Sierra Leone. Natasha Beckley who needs no introduction is seeking the All Peoples Congress (APC) ticket to run for the office of Mayor for Port Loko City during the forthcoming June 2023 elections in Sierra Leone.
Wearing her hijab with pride to demonstrate her newfound faith as a Muslim, Natasha explained her vision as follows: “As Mayor of Port Loko City, my unwavering goal is to ensure reliable and improved delivery of all devolved services for residents of the city, attract diaspora and donor investment in infrastructure that fosters balanced growth and promotes economic opportunities and prosperity for all residents of Port Loko City. With me as Mayor, Port Loko City Council will embrace all people, foster community pride, and celebrate our city’s rich diversity and history”.
Natasha Beckley has earned herself a place of significance amongst the elite of politics in the country. With humble beginnings and a very well-established Bakeh Loko family, Natasha is a true reflection of a woman with a well-nurtured background, sound education, and a good upbringing. She has been at the center of social life in Sierra Leone is considered a celebrity in the small West Africa State and is well respected amongst her peers. With numerous accolades to her name, Natasha has worked hard and has carved out a niche for herself in the male-dominated world of politics in Sierra Leone. During the 2018 elections, she became the front-runner aspirant for the All People’s Congress party (APC) ticket for constituency 075 (Bakeh Loko chiefdom) Port Loko city, an opportunity she missed because the nation’s laws which bar citizens of dual nationality and diasporans from contesting for Parliamentary representation. Not securing the party symbol for a Parliamentary seat in 2018 did not dampen her interest in serving her people. Natasha contested and served as an elected official of the Port Loko City Council 2018-2023. She is very passionate about women and children and the development of the arts and culture. She sees care for the environment and the development of local talents and skills development as an opportunity to attract investments and create jobs for the youth. Having played a progressively more involved role in the affairs of the party during the recently concluded lower-level elections as Chairman of TIIEMC for the North West Region and member of the elections team at the National Delegates Conference. Natasha is taking the next step of her political
career.
Natasha Beckley
In 2008, she won the Miss Sierra Leone DC / USA beauty pageant, and in 2009, became the first woman of color to win the Miss University of Virginia College beauty pageant and was the 1st runner-up in the Miss Africa USA pageant 2010. In 2012 Natasha Beckley founded the I Am Sierra Leone (IAMSL) pageant agency of which she is founder and CEO. A strong woman of sorts, a poet with over 300 poems under her belt; an award-winning influencer and community organizer, a pageant coach showcasing Sierra Leone at over 30 transformational International pageants including Sierra Leone’s premier at the Miss Universe, Miss Earth, and Mr. World international pageants; a local politician, and one of Sierra Leone’s best female, Natasha Beckley is indeed a woman to watch. For Natasha, beauty pageants is not only about looks, it is about exuding intelligence, self-confidence, self-assurance, and self-esteem and training a cadre of national ambassadors. 1
In a France 24 TV program, “Beauty Queens to the Rescue in Sierra Leone” Natasha says “A pageant is about advocating for girl child
education and everything that is right for the country; sustainable environment, clean water, HIV Aids awareness, cancer awareness”. Natasha never misses the opportunity to showcase the beauty and touristic potential of her hometown of Port Loko, which she uses as a retreat for her pageant contestants. In her recent 2023 CNN “African Young Voices) interview, she showcased the new 6 room Madrasat she donated to the 1 France 24 “Beauty queens to the rescue in Sierra Leone” Muslim community; renovation of the Port Loko Modu Recreation Park and the opening of the Summer’s restaurant are a few of the contributions she brings to the local community. Natasha continues to be a source of inspiration and her commitment and dedication to serve her people as a local councilor of the Port Loko City Council continues to give hope to a dedicated following of youths
who have shown interest in local politics.
As one of Sierra Leone’s most famous female rapper, her number 1 album Freetown the recipe – and the number 1 hit single “Freetown” have received several positive reviews. With 48,800 followers on Instagram; 10,200 on YouTube; 126,000 followers on Facebook, Natasha’s numbers are on the rise. She received awards in three categories at the 2021 National Entertainment Awards including ‘Best Hit Single of the Year”; for her smash hit (Bout the Money”); “Best Female Artists of the Year” and Best Female Afro-Pop Artist of the Year”. Natasha is a member of the 50/50 Women’s Group; a member of the Women’s Shadow Parliament; a recipient of the 50 Most Influential Sierra Leonean Women 2017; 2019 and 2020; 50 Most Influential Young Sierra Leoneans 2020; 2018 Face of Africa Concept, African Icon Award and Youth Ambassador of the year Abuja and Sierra Leone Fashion Awards Icon of the Year 2022. She also received recognition from the Parliament of Sierra Leone. Natasha is a Sierra Leonean woman defying all stereotypes, breaking down barriers, and encouraging young Sierra Leonean women to develop their leadership and political potential to have decision-making power. Her quest to become Mayor stems from her experience as a people’s advocate and influencer; a councilor; her determination to contribute to national development and help her people of Port Loko reclaim the City’s position as the country’s gateway city and pride of the North-West and most importantly attract necessary investments and boost the economy. For Natasha Beckley, the next 5 years will be all about serving her people and leading the way to build a brighter, safer, and more prosperous future for Port Loko City and its residents. Look forward to our exclusive interview with Natasha Beckley soon!
