The Minister of Youth Affairs, Mohamed Orman Bangura has on 28 April 2022 witnessed the graduation ceremony of over 300 young Sierra Leoneans, commissioned and handed over tractors, staff quarters and a fully furnished training center to Sumbuya Lugbu Training Center, in Bo District, Southern Province of Sierra Leone.

According to the Minister, these equipments are needed to empower the youths with skills that will help them become self-sufficient, and change their lives trajectory for the better.

“Over 200 young people have been trained in Economic skills: in “Tractor & Grader Operations and Basic Maintenance” at the Sumbuya Lugbu Training Center, Lugbu Chiefdom, Bo District in the Southern Province of the Republic of Sierra Leone. The three months training program; from October to December, has fully empowered our youths in the much needed skills for economic acceleration,” Bangura stated.

The Minister further noted that the training by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), did not only provide the youths with the skills needed but also provided them with the tools needed for the operations as well as a functional training center in Sumbuya town.

“This is in direct support of President Julius Maada Bio’s Human Capital development project. The more skilled people we have the better for a buoyant economy, strong middle class and a consolidated democracy. We are leading this nation and its youths in particular in the right direction,” he stated.

“I would like to heartily extend my thanks and appreciation to IOM for the confidence and for continuing to entrust the Ministry of Youth Affairs with leading such projects. I can assure you that with our leadership, we will continue to create opportunities for growth in our young people. Another Youth Connect Center is here to serve its purpose,” the minister added.