Mohamed Orman Bangura, the Minister of Youth Affairs, has explained the government’s intervention in youth development as a reference towards building the skills and innovation of the youths in Africa.

The minister made his presentation at the African Human Capital Heads of State Summit 2023 in Tanzania on July 25, 2023, during the panel discussion on ‘Accelerating Africa’s Economic Growth: Boosting Youth Productivity by Improving Learning and Skills.’ He emphasized that there are many challenges faced by the youths in the continent, which the government of Sierra Leone has been diligently working on.

He disclosed that to curtail these challenges, the President introduced and rolled out the initiative of free quality education through the Ministry of Basic Education, which has had a significant impact on the youths by helping build their skills and capacity for the challenges ahead. Additionally, he mentioned the ‘Hands Off Our Girls’ campaign led by the First Lady of Sierra Leone as another method to empower girls and boost their productivity within their communities.

Furthermore, he stressed the importance of community-owned skills development in Africa that align with the needs and development of each respective community. In this regard, he highlighted the significance of agricultural skills development, which will play a vital role in making the continent self-sufficient.

He added that countries should recognize the key role of agricultural development and should consider embarking on mechanized agricultural activities to promote and boost youth productivity.

“The financial institutions also need to recalibrate their products towards young people to provide them with the necessary skills that will help them earn a living,” he maintained.