By Festus J Lahai
President Julius Maada Bio, during his first five years, provided fishery equipment and gears for young people in 70 fishing communities and boosted their earning capacity; constructed 28 carwash centers across the country that provide jobs and income for the youth, and established 190 Chiefdom Youth Farms that hired at least 20 youths per chiefdom.
The Commander-In-Chief also supported 411 young entrepreneurs whose businesses were affected by COVID-19 with a stimulus grant of two billion, four hundred and fifty thousand Leones; trained over 2000 youth through the Youth Service Schemes, and at least 25% have secured jobs, with over 200 young people trained in tractor operations and basic maintenance.
To increase access to finance for the growth of youth entrepreneurs, President Bio helped young people with small business loans through the MUNAFA Fund and other agencies. His government partnered with NGOs and other development partners to support youths in establishing several youth-led organizations that are now contributing to national development.
After winning the June 24th Elections, the President commits to creating 500,000 jobs for the youth in five years through a targeted Presidential Initiative on Job Creation. The Government will be deliberate to create the right environment and seek out opportunities for the youth through both the public and private sector including in-public works, food production, agro-processing, the creative industry, digital and green jobs.
Involvement of youth in Agric, livestock, aquaculture, and value chain
His Excellency President Bio’s New Direction Government will increase youth access to finance, capital, and grants, provide a conducive trade and business environment for young people, promote peer learning schemes-e.g., livestock management, introduce training centers on short courses for needy skills- e.g operation of agricultural machinery and equipment, fertilizer introduction, pest control, farm management, etc, and develop a database on youth with skills in agriculture.
Promoting Music and Performing Art
Plans are underway to review and enforce copyright laws for music, and arts, review and enforce the copyright laws, review policies and establish standards for the promotion of music and performing arts, establish institutions and introduce training at vocational and university levels in music, film, and video production, establish an Arts Gallery and Theatre for Performing Arts in all regional capitals, promote Sierra Leonean music and musicians nationally and internationally and maintain good business ethics in the industry, build youth skills in new industries that have high demands, e.g. interior decoration, fashion, and design industry etc, and support Arts and crafts.
Finance and support the creative economy through a tailored innovation challenge
The government plans to provide training, loan facilities and seed capital for artists and local investors in the creative industry, develop the Entertainment industry as part of job readiness, and set up systems to support youth-led household enterprises by addressing constraints, including lack of adequate capital, provide training and counseling on business-related activities among youth owned enterprises to be piloted in regional headquarters, establish an information technology platform to promote youth employment and empowerment to enable the collection and dissemination of information on jobs, training and livelihood programs, policies, and opportunities for the youth.
Increase access to social protection programs and Youth participation in governance
The Bio Government, as part of its plan, will introduce rehabilitation and reintegration programs for drug/substance abusers, including unemployed youth in the existing safety net programs, increase youth representation and inclusion in every area of governance, review procedures and policies governing the election of youths across youth councils (community, chiefdom, district and national) and ensure equal gender representation, and train youth in leadership skills.
Inculcate a culture of civic nationalism, patriotism, and jobs through national youth service
The New Direction Government will further review the legal framework for the National Youth Service Scheme to create opportunities for graduate youth to live and work in areas/districts different from their origin, invest in entertainment – strategically positioning it for job creation for young people, expand youth service scheme to cater for graduates from TECVOC and support young people to tap into the digital and green economy opportunities.
The SLPP Government wants to make life better for young people in Sierra Leone. This will surely also help the country become stronger and united as President Bio rolls out his five-year plan for youth empowerment in Sierra Leone.
