Sierra Leone’s President, Julius Maada Bio has revealed the reason he was re-elected in the 2023 Presidential Election at the UN General Assembly (UNGA) 78 in New York.

“My re-election as President for a second and final term serves not merely as an endorsement of my leadership but a solemn testament to my Government’s commitment to fashioning a Sierra Leone that thrives as a united, peaceful, and dynamic bastion of hope and opportunity,” Bio revealed during his address.

The President also said his government worked to provide jobs, food security, quality education and equitable healthcare for citizens.

He added that his government in his term upheld human rights and democratic freedoms despite challenges like the war in Ukraine and the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Bio also informed world leaders of his investment in education by allocating 22 percent of the national budget to sector in his first five years in office.

“Our devotion to education was unambiguous: over 800,000 new learners were introduced under our aegis, and we significantly augmented domestic educational funding, ensuring it constituted an average of 22% of our national budget,” the President said.

He also referenced the legal reforms his government embarked on in his first five years including repeal of the Seditious Criminal Libel Law and the formation of the Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (GEWE) Act.

Bio also informed diplomats that his government will now focus on food security, human capital development and youth employment.

More than 60 percent of Sierra Leone’s population are youths but the demography struggles with job opportunities. But Bio’s promise has been welcomed with many considering it to be timely.