He was appointed by President Ernest Bai Koroma and was later confirmed by parliament.
Born and raised in Freetown, to parents from the Limba ethnic group, Conteh enrolled in the Sierra Leone Army as a cadet officer in 1976.
Alfred Paolo Conteh was born and raised in the neighborhood of Wilberforce in Freetown, Sierra Leone to parents from the Limba ethnic group.
Upon graduation from secondary school, Conteh enrolled in the Sierra Leone Army as a cadet officer in 1976.
Upon completion of a two-year cadet training in 1978, Conteh was promoted to second lieutenant in the Sierra Leone Army and was posted as Platoon Commander at the Benguema barracks in Benguema, Sierra Leone.