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The Minister of Planning and Economic Development, Hon. Kenyeh Barlay, represented Vice President Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh at the national commemoration of International Youth Day held at the Julius Maada Bio Conference Centre in Lungi.
The event was held under the global theme, “Different Contexts, Common Aspirations,” and Sierra Leone’s national theme, “Harnessing Youth Innovation and Resilience for National Transformation.” It brought together Government officials, development partners, private sector representatives, civil society organisations, youth leaders, entrepreneurs and innovators.
Representing the Vice President, Minister Barlay delivered the keynote address and launched three major initiatives: the Youth Development Cooperation Framework, the National Action Plan on Youth, Peace and Security, and the Youth Employment Portal under the PSSNYE Project.
The Youth Development Cooperation Framework is designed to strengthen coordination among Government institutions, development partners, civil society and the private sector, while aligning youth-focused investments with national priorities and improving accountability and results tracking.
Minister Barlay noted that youth development covers areas including employment, skills development, entrepreneurship, wellbeing, digital participation and community development, stressing the importance of stronger coordination to ensure young people benefit effectively from national investments.
She also launched the National Action Plan on Youth, Peace and Security, reaffirming Government’s commitment to meaningful youth participation in peacebuilding, governance and national development.
A key highlight was the launch of the Youth Employment Portal under the PSSNYE Project, developed under the leadership of the Ministry of Youth Affairs with support from the World Bank.
Delivering the Vice President’s message, Minister Barlay reaffirmed Government’s commitment to improving education and skills development, creating an enabling environment for businesses to invest and create jobs, strengthening youth-serving institutions, and ensuring youth-focused programmes deliver measurable results.
The three initiatives are expected to support a more coordinated, inclusive and results-oriented approach to youth development in Sierra Leone.
