Joe Blell

Joseph "Joe" Blell is a Sierra Leonean politician from the opposition Sierra Leone People's Party. He served as Sierra Leone's high commissioner to Nigeria from 2002 to 2007. He was also Sierra Leone's duputy Minister of Defense from 1996 until the government was ousted in a military coup in 1997. He is a member of the Mende ethnic group.

Amb. Joe C. Blell was the Deputy Minister of Defense from 2002-2007 (President Tejan-Kabbah was the Substantive Minister). Amb.Blell, the defacto Minister was the Pivot of the Restructuring Programme of the Republic Of Sierra Leone Armed Forces. An Armed Force that was decimated by the Rebel War and now a Force to be recorned with. It was during this period that the Force was reduced from a War Time High of over 20,000 to just over 8000 at present. Before that he served as Sierra Leone High Commissioner to Federal Republic of Nigeria and accredited to Multiple Counties-Ghana, Benin, Togo, Equatorial Guinea and Republic of Congo. Amb. Blell was also accredited to the Economic Community of West African States(ECOWAS) 1997-2002.

He was the Team Manager of the National Football Team(Leone Stars) that qualified for the African Cup of Nations in 1994(Tunisia) and also won the African Zone II Football Trophy for the first time in Dec. 1993. Prior to his appointment as the Sierra Leone High Commissioner to The Federal Republic of Nigeria, he was the Regional Director of The Canadian University Services Overseas(CUSO) to Nigeria based in Kano and later Kaduna in Northern Nigeria. 1979-1985