By Foday Moriba Conteh
The United Nations Sierra Leone, in collaboration with the Ministry of Youth Affairs, has on Monday, August 12th, 2024, joined the world to commemorate International Youth Day celebration on the theme: “From Clicks to Progress: Youth Digital Pathways for Sustainable Development.” The event, which brought together young people, was held at Sierra Palms Hotel in Freetown.
Delivering a statement on behalf of the UN Resident Coordinator, Rudolf Schwenk, the UNICEF Representative in Sierra Leone began by acknowledging the global significance of youth, noting that there are currently 1.8 billion young people between the ages of 10 and 24—the largest generation in history.
He emphasized that nearly 90% of these young people live in developing countries, where they constitute a significant portion of the population.
“In Sierra Leone, eight out of ten people are under 35 years old,” Schwenk stated, underscoring the country’s youthful demographic and its potential to drive national development. He noted that International Youth Day 2024 serves as a moment to celebrate and harness the power of youth in leveraging technology for sustainable solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges.
Rudolf Schwenk highlighted the ongoing digital revolution and the dual nature of the digital landscape, which presents both risks and unprecedented opportunities. He praised young people for their role in driving positive change through digital pathways, from using social media to amplify voices for social justice to developing innovative solutions to global challenges. “By equipping them with the necessary skills, resources and support, we can unlock their full potential and pave the way for a more inclusive and sustainable society, both here in Sierra Leone and around the world,” he said.
In his call to action, Rudolf Schwenk urged the Government, development partners, Civil Society Organizations and the private sector to invest in youth empowerment initiatives. He emphasized the need to provide young people with access to quality education, training programs and mentorship opportunities to ensure they can navigate the digital landscape and contribute meaningfully to sustainable development efforts.
He commended the Government of Sierra Leone for prioritizing youth in the new Medium-Term National Development Plan further expressing anticipation for Sierra Leone’s hosting of the first-ever Mano River Union ‘Youth Connect Summit’ later this year, under the leadership of the Ministry of Youth Affairs, which will bring together youth from four countries in the sub-region. “This is a testimony of how the Government is taking the lead in harnessing the potential of youth, not only in the country but in the region,” the UN Resident Coordinator remarked.
In closing, Rudolf Schwenk reaffirmed the UN’s commitment to supporting the Government’s efforts in empowering young people, particularly in the areas of technology and digital skills.
On his part, Mohamed Orman Bangura, the Minister of Youth Affairs, commended young people for their contributions to nation building, highlighting key interventions undertaken by young people across the country.
He said that young people has been using their various spaces to contribute towards the development of the country of which he said the Ministry of Youth Affairs has already identified some of these young people which include social media influencers and they will work with them in order to continue using their various spaces in contributing towards the country’s development.
The Minister continued that they want to change the narrative of youth in Sierra Leone, noting that if Sierra Leone is rated among peaceful countries in the world the young people are playing crucial role in achieving that. He therefore encouraged the youth of Sierra Leone to continue to maintain peace to realize their fullest potential. The Minister made mention of several projects in his Ministry which are geared towards addressing the challenges faced by young people.
He also informed the participants about the Youth Status Report which IGR and International Consultant from Ghana are working on and the forthcoming Mano River Union Youth Connect Conference which Sierra Leone will be hosting in October this year that will bring over 5000 youths across the sub-region.
Salima Bah, Minister of Communication Technology and Innovation highlighted the importance of technology and innovation which her Ministry is championing and addressing the challenges faced by the young people.
She encouraged the young people to take up the challenge noting that Africa should not be at the receiving end for technology and innovation.
Salima Bah also mentioned that innovation does not only mean technology but anything that you can do that can solve problem effectively and efficiently.
These statements were followed by a panel discussion on the theme: “From Clicks to Progress: Youth Digital Pathways for Sustainable Development,” facilitated by Samuel Wise Bangura.
