This week, as we commemorate World Youth Skills Day 2026, we celebrate the extraordinary potential of Sierra Leone’s young people – the innovators, creators, entrepreneurs and problem-solvers who will shape our nation’s future. This year, I want to talk not just about the skills we are building, but about ensuring those skills translate into real, meaningful and fair opportunity.
Around the world, technology, artificial intelligence and innovation are transforming economies at an unprecedented pace. The question is no longer whether this transformation will happen, but whether young people will have the skills and opportunities to succeed within it.
In Sierra Leone, our answer is clear.
Under the leadership of His Excellency President Dr. Julius Maada Bio, and as part of the Government’s Human Capital Development Agenda, we are making deliberate investments to ensure that young Sierra Leoneans are not only prepared for the future, but equipped to lead it.
Over the past year, the Ministry of Communication, Technology and Innovation, working with development and private-sector partners, has expanded opportunities through digital skills programmes, innovation competitions, hackathons, technology summits, STEM outreach and entrepreneurship support. Through initiatives such as Learn2Earn, we are equipping young people with practical digital skills while creating pathways into freelancing, remote work and global markets. Thousands have already benefited, gaining the confidence and exposure needed to compete in an increasingly connected world.
But digital skills alone are not enough.
We must also build an economy where those skills can thrive.
That is why Government is investing in transformational initiatives such as Felei TechCity, our flagship vision to create a world-class innovation ecosystem that attracts investment, nurtures startups, supports research and development, and creates high-value digital jobs. Alongside Sierra Leone’s first National Artificial Intelligence Strategy and our broader digital transformation agenda, we are laying the foundations for an economy where innovation is commercialised and talent becomes opportunity.
Our vision is simple.
Digital skills must lead to digital opportunity.
Digital opportunity must lead to digital earnings.
This is the future we are building.
However, as we equip our young people with globally competitive capabilities, we must also ensure they can fairly benefit from the value they create.
Today, a young content creator, software developer or entrepreneur in Freetown can reach global audiences. Yet many still lack equal access to earning opportunities on digital platforms – not because of limited talent, but because access remains uneven. This is why Sierra Leone continues to advocate for greater digital equity, including fair access to platform monetisation for African creators and innovators. A young Sierra Leonean reaching global audiences should have the same opportunity to earn as any other creator, regardless of where they live.
This is not simply about monetisation. It is about ensuring opportunity is shared more fairly and that value is distributed more equitably. These principles are reflected in the Global Digital Compact, which calls for an inclusive and equitable digital future where every country can benefit meaningfully from technology.
As Sierra Leone continues to champion this agenda, including through our leadership within ECOWAS, we will keep working with governments, development partners and the private sector to build an ecosystem where young people can transform skills into employment, entrepreneurship and sustainable livelihoods.
To every young Sierra Leonean, my message is deeply personal.
I am proud to serve as your Minister, but I am also proud to be part of your generation. Like many of you, I have built my career in a world being reshaped by technology, innovation and constant change. I understand both the uncertainty and the incredible possibilities that this digital age presents, because I am living them too.
That is why this mission means so much to me. I want every young Sierra Leonean to have the opportunity not only to acquire world-class digital skills, but to build a career, create a business, earn a living and compete confidently on the global stage.
Your Government believes in your potential, and we will continue building the policies, infrastructure and partnerships that enable you to succeed.
Keep learning.
Keep creating.
Keep innovating.
Keep believing that your ideas can change your community, your country and the world.
Together, we are building a future where every young Sierra Leonean can not only participate in the digital economy, but help shape it.
Happy World Youth Skills Day.
Hon. Salima Monorma Bah,
Minister of Communication, Technology and Innovation
