BY NED GAGAHE

Transparency Solomon Islands (TSI) is urging the government and the public not to celebrate prematurely following the country’s one-point improvement in the 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI).

Solomon Islands scored 44 out of 100 in the latest CPI released on Wednesday, February 11, 2026, ranking 73rd out of 180 countries. The result marks a one-point increase from last year and a rise of three places globally.

However, TSI Chair Rodney Kingmele cautioned that the marginal gain does not signal meaningful progress in the fight against corruption.

“Whilst it’s an improvement by one point, I don’t think we should be too focused on that and become complacent.

“When we look at the past five years, we have been fluctuating around 42, 43 and 44. That tells us we are stagnant,” Kingmele said.

Kingmele said the small increase should not distract us from ongoing governance concerns, including recent issues surrounding the appointment of the Director General of the Solomon Islands Independent Commission Against Corruption (SIICAC).

He said that although data may have detected slight improvements based on perception sources used in compiling the CPI, the broader trend shows little structural change.

“Overall, over the past five years, we are hovering around the same score. That one-point improvement should not cause us to say we are improving significantly. We still have a lot of work to do,” he said.

In the Pacific region, Fiji scored 55, while Vanuatu dropped to 47 and Papua New Guinea fell sharply to 26. Solomon Islands remains positioned in the middle, a standing Kingmele says presents both an opportunity to learn and a responsibility to strengthen governance systems.

TSI Executive Officer, Ruth Liloqula echoed the warning, describing the improvement as “not significant.”

“What it tells us is that we still have weak institutions of integrity that are unable to hold power to account,” Liloqula said.

She said the slight rise in score was largely due to continued efforts by the media and civil society organisations advocating for transparency and accountability, rather than sweeping government reforms.

“In general, we should congratulate the media, civil society and some integrity institutions that are doing their part. But otherwise, in the fight against corruption, our score shows we are stagnant,” she said.

Liloqula said longstanding institutional weaknesses, noting that key oversight bodies such as the Leadership Code Commission and SIICAC have gone without substantive leadership for extended periods.

“The Leadership Code Commission was left without a head for quite a long time. SIICAC is the same. When you look at court cases, they are there, but government often loses its cases,” she said.

She added that while there are encouraging signs among some new Members of Parliament who appear willing to take independent stands, this alone is not enough to drive systemic reform.

“There are signs within the political leadership that certain new MPs are making a stand on their own. That’s different from the usual rhetoric we saw in the last government. It’s a good sign, but it’s not enough,” Liloqula said.

TSI argues that persistent corruption continues to affect service delivery across the public sector.

“We still have a highly corrupt public sector, which means poor service delivery,” Liloqula stated.

The CPI measures perceived levels of public sector corruption based on assessments from multiple sources. A score of 100 indicates a very clean public sector, while 0 reflects high levels of perceived corruption.

Although Solomon Islands’ global ranking improved by three places this year, TSI maintains that the minimal score increase does not represent substantial reform.

“The numbers show we are standing still. We should not be satisfied with that,” Kingmele said.

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People on Sikaiana again call for a nurse as situation becomes dire 16 months on

BY IRWIN ANGIKI

People on Sikaiana are again calling for a nurse to be sent to the island.

Sikaiana’s Member of Provincial Assembly (MPA) Lemuel Kevianga said his people are still crying out for health and medical service, denied them for the last 16 months.

The last nurse left Sikaiana in October 2024.

Since then, there have been two deaths on the island which have been described as ‘avoidable deaths’, Mr Kevianga, who is also Malaita province’s Finance Minister, said.

Kevianga adds, there have also been two critical cases which were med-evac by helicopter – a costly exercise.

The last ship visited Sikaiana in mid-January this year. It is unclear when the next ship will be available for the island since the shipping service franchise for Sikaiana has expired.

With the tender process for the 2026 franchise expected to take months, Kevianga believes it could be at least another six months before a ship sails for Sikaiana.

Issue hits parliament, nothing happens

The issue of Sikaiana’s lack of nurse was brought to parliament last year with Opposition Leader Matthew Wale calling on the Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS) to address the vacancy with urgency.

Mr Wale in a media statement in August 2025 said leaving a population of over 300 without medical care for 11 months was “inexcusable” and “pure negligence” on the part of government.

Health Minister Dr Paul Popora Bosawai had alluded to critical shortages in other medical fields and pressures on provincial hospitals like Kilu’ufi, which oversees Sikaiana’s medical staffing.

Nurse available, but no ship

Malaita’s Director of Nursing, based at the Kiluufi hospital, Richard Maegerea had told Island Sun in October last year that a nurse was being prepared for deployment to Sikaiana.

Speaking to the paper last week, Mr Maegerea said that the nurse has been prepped and “just waiting for the next available transport to Sikaiana”.

Maegerea added that the nurse should have left for Sikaiana earlier this year but had missed the ship bound for the island.

“Currently, we are liaising with the MPA for Sikaiana as to when the next available ship will travel there so that the nurse can follow it to the island. Details such as whether the ship will come through Auki on its way to Sikaiana or whether it would directly sail to Sikaiana from Honiara are vital as we communicate and make arrangements ahead of the ship’s schedule,” Maegerea said.

Missed calls, missed trip

MPA Kevianga in response said, “The nurse had missed the last trip to Sikaiana because the Director had not answered his phone when I called him many times to arrange the nurse to come to Honiara from Auki to board the ship to Sikaiana.”

In mid-January the ship left Honiara for Sikaiana carrying materials for constituency projects and a school project on the island.

“We knew this could be the last ship for Sikaiana for a long time, that’s why I had insisted on getting the nurse to follow it,” Kevianga said.

No health and medical service

Principal of the community school on Sikaiana, Thomas Sapivaka describes life on the island as “fifty-fifty”.

“There is zero medical visit while Sikaiana lacks a nurse. Newborn babies do not get their injections,” Sapivaka said.

“There are children as far as two years old who have not yet had their injections or vaccinations.

“Wounds from injuries due to accidents or fights are left to fester, most taking very long to heal.

“Babies are being delivered by untrained women who act as mid-wives.

“Education is impacted. Teachers left Sikaiana seeking medical attention for themselves of their children or family members. Students accompany parents who also seek medical attention in Honiara,” Sapivaka said.

People turn to “all-kinds of remedies” for cure to a headache, toothache, body pains, diarrhoea, fever, weakness or wounds, Sapivaka said.

“Why? The last time I checked, Sikaiana was part of Solomon Islands,” Sapivaka said.

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BY BEN BILUA
Gizo

GIZO Market Vendors Association has successfully completed a two-day leadership training facilitated by the UN-Women Market for Change (M4C) Programme.

More than 40 women participants walked away smiling after receiving their certificates at the end of the training, marking another milestone in efforts to empower women market vendors in Western Province.

In an interview with Island Sun, Principal Officer of the Women Development Division of Western Province, Lisi Wong acknowledged the continued support of the UNW-M4C project towards women in the province.

She thanked the UNW-M4C Peacebuilding Project for delivering the leadership training in Gizo, Munda and Seghe.

Mrs Wong said the M4C programme has made a significant impact in Western Province through;

-support for the establishment of Market Vendors Associations in Gizo, Munda and Seghe

-development of constitutions for the associations

-various trainings in economic empowerment, disaster management, food safety and first aid

She said the recent leadership training adds to the growing list of achievements of the M4C project in the province.

According to Wong, the training will equip participants with the skills and knowledge needed to effectively address issues among market vendors.

“I’m encouraged to see active participation in this training. I hope the participants are walking away with the necessary knowledge and skills that will help them in the future,” she said.

M4C Programme Coordinator, Alice Iwebu Kale, said the training aims to bring out the leadership potential within each participant to better manage and mitigate issues that arise in their workplaces.

She explained that participants were introduced to four profiles of transformational leadership.

“We discussed the personal profile, which focuses on individual personalities. The social profile looks at how individuals are brought up in society, their environment and culture. Another is the professional profile, which considers individual professions, and finally the wisdom and inner capacity that individuals inherit,” Mrs Kale said.

She added that emotional intelligence was also a key component of the training.

“We also dived into emotional intelligence, understanding that these market vendors are dealing with people or other vendors. Emotional intelligence plays an important role in mediating issues and finding practical solutions,” she said.

Kale said in simple terms, transformational leadership and emotional intelligence are about knowing oneself and understanding one’s inner capabilities to effectively tackle challenges.

She acknowledges the Gizo Market Vendors Association and the Western Provincial Government for their strong support towards the M4C programmes and activities.

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BY RICHARD MENANOPO

The road to the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 is set to ignite local excitement, with Solomon Islands confirmed to host the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) Women’s Qualifier later this month.

Solomon Islands Football Federation (SIFF) on its official Facebook page yesterday said, “The journey kicks into high gear on home soil from 27 February to 5 March 2026 at the National Stadium in Honiara.”

The Group A competition will feature regional heavyweights New Zealand, alongside Samoa, American Samoa, and host nation Solomon Islands, promising thrilling encounters for local supporters eager to witness top-level women’s football.

SIFF calls on fans to rally behind the national side, urging the public to create a sea of support and show them what playing at home truly means.

“Bring your voice, your passion, and your pride. Every shout, every clap, every wave of the flag pushes our Senior Women’s Football Team forward, as they push for a historic place on the world stage,” the SIFF statement said.

The federation emphasised a shared mission to “unite, cheer, inspire, qualify,” highlighting the importance of strong crowd support throughout the tournament.

With football deeply woven into the nation’s sporting identity, the upcoming qualifier is expected to generate vibrant community spirit and packed grandstands as Solomon Islands chases World Cup qualification glory on home soil.

Meanwhile, the qualifier will take place just ahead of the fourth-round circuit of the OFC Pro League, which is also scheduled to be staged in Honiara, further strengthening the capital’s position as a hub for regional football action.

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BY JOHN HOUANIHAU

The Solomon–Nihon JICA Alumni Association (SNJAA) has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening development ties between Solomon Islands and Japan.

This comes following a successful Knowledge Sharing Seminar and Annual General Meeting (AGM) held on January 30, 2026, in Honiara.

The event, hosted at the Solomon Kitano Mendana Hotel, brought together JICA alumni, representatives from the JICA Solomon Islands Office, the Embassy of Japan, and invited guests.

The program featured welcome remarks, presentations by short- and long-term training participants, a review of SNJAA’s 2025 activities, and the election of new executive members.

SNJAA was formed by Solomon Islands government officers who completed long and short-term training programs in Japan under the JICA Knowledge Co-Creation Program (KCCP).

In Japan’s 2025 fiscal year, the association carried out several JICA-supported initiatives, including waste management awareness and cleanup campaigns in communities.

During the seminar, Helina Leua, a registered nurse-midwife who attended short-term training on Maternal and Neonatal Health and Clinical Care at Kansai University, shared her experience.

Aengari James Russell of Solomon Tobacco, who completed a Master’s in Business Administration at the International University of Japan, also delivered a presentation.

The JICA Solomon Islands Office Resident Representative congratulated the association for successfully hosting the event and commended alumni for their continued contributions.

Japan’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) to Solomon Islands has exceeded 58 billion Yen, supporting major infrastructure developments including airports, seaports, roads, bridges, water supply systems, markets, and hospitals.

Up to 2025, approximately 1,350 Solomon Islanders have participated in JICA’s KCCP programs, with more than 20 attending training in Japan in 2025 alone.

The newly elected SNJAA executive members are: President Mr. David Houpere (SINU), Vice President Ms. June Rofeta Maenuu’u (MFAET), Treasurer Mr. Wilson Kiyo (MFMR), Secretary Ms. Florence Bataanisia (OPMC), and staff members Mr. James R. Aengari (SITCO) and Ms. Ella Lynthia Simata (SINU).

Mr. Houpere thanked members for their trust and pledged to continue building on the association’s progress while working closely with former executives and JICA partners.

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BY JOHN HOUANIHAU

JICA Solomon Islands has sent four government officers to Japan for specialised training under the Knowledge Co-Creation Program.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Solomon Islands Office said the four public service officers have successfully departed for Japan to participate in capacity building programs under the prestigious JICA Knowledge Co Creation Programme (KCCP).

This programs aims to strengthen technical competencies, promote mutual learning, and support national development through knowledge exchange.

JICA SI said that two legal professionals from the Solomon Islands Government are attending the Public International Law, focused on Law of the Sea and Peaceful Settlement of International Disputes training at the JICA Tokyo Center (JICA TOKYO) from February 1-20.

The two officers are George Gray from the Office of the Public Solicitor and Edward Waiwaki, principal crown counsel, from the Attorney General’s Chambers.

The course aims to;

-introduce the critical role of International Law of the Sea within the rule based international community

-strengthen the capacity of participating countries to practice and apply international law

-enhance understanding of the peaceful resolution of international disputes, particularly those relating to maritime zones and ocean governance

JICA SI said that this training is vital for the Solomon Islands as it continues to navigate international legal frameworks involving maritime boundaries, resource management, and regional cooperation.

JICA SI further said that two secondary senior teachers from Visale Community High School have also been selected to join the Primary/Secondary Education Science and Mathematics Education Young Leaders Program at the JICA Kyushu Centre in Fukuoka, taking place from February 1 to 21, 2026.

They are Parkinson Oraimara, a senior science teacher and Christian Chochoti, a senior mathematics teacher.

JICA SI said that through this programme, participants are expected to;

-analyses existing issues in science and mathematics education within their schools and communities

-gain a deeper understanding of the Japanese education system, its implementation methods, and approaches to teacher development

-learn about the management and operation of Japanese educational facilities

-propose future improvements and initiatives to strengthen education delivery within their institutions and the broader national context

Their participation reflects JICA’s ongoing commitment to enhance human resource development and improve education quality in the Solomon Islands.

JICA remains committed to support national development by investing in human capacity building, fostering international cooperation, and encouraging mutual learning between Japan and Solomon Islands.

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