In a landmark publication, Sierra Leone’s Information Minister and leading advocates from UNICEF, Oxford, and the Resilio Fund call for continued global investment in adolescent girls as the surest path to national progress.
Reaffirming his position among the world’s leading voices on education and gender equality, Sierra Leone’s Minister of Information and Civic Education, Chernor Bah, has co-authored a major new commentary in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health — one of the world’s most influential academic journals.
The article, titled “Investing in adolescent girls works: we can’t afford to stop,” makes a powerful case that funding for adolescent girls must not decline at a time when evidence of its impact has never been stronger. The publication brings together an impressive coalition of global experts, including Lauren Rumble (UNICEF, New York), Suzanne Petroni (Gender Equality Solutions, USA), Professor Lucie Cluver (University of Oxford & University of Cape Town), and Fanta K. Touré (Resilio Fund, Dubai).
Together, they argue that investing in adolescent girls yields measurable national gains across education, health, economic growth, and violence prevention — but warn that international aid for girls has been deprioritised in recent years.
Minister Bah, a lifelong advocate for girls’ education, linked the findings to the leadership of President Julius Maada Bio, whose government has made education for girls a national priority.
“For President Bio and for me, this is more than policy — it’s a moral and national imperative. When girls thrive, nations rise,” Minister Bah said.
The publication cements Minister Bah’s reputation as one of Africa’s most respected global voices for equality and human development, and it further underscores Sierra Leone’s growing role in shaping the global conversation on education and gender justice.
🔗 Read the article in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health:
