President Dr Julius Maada Bio has officially launched an Alternative Livelihoods Training programme for youth bike riders and unveiled the Status of the Youth Report 2025 at Milton Margai Technical University (MMTU) in Goderich. The programme, titled “Empowering Youth Bike Riders as Sustainable Agents of Peace in Sierra Leone,” aims to provide new skills and opportunities to improve the livelihoods of bike riders while strengthening their role in national development.
Targeting 1,300 young riders and supported by the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund, the initiative seeks to formalise and professionalise a sector President Bio described as “essential pillars of national mobility and community life.” Speaking to the matriculating riders, the President noted the ubiquity and importance of bike riders across the country: “These bike riders go to every corner of Sierra Leone. They take people to work, school, markets and hospitals. They feed their families and connect towns and villages,” he said. “This programme shows that we have not forgotten them. We understand their critical role in society.”
President Bio stressed that his government places youth at the centre of policy and reform, framing human capital as Sierra Leone’s most important resource for transformation. “The most important mineral for transforming Sierra Leone is human capital,” he said. “We are investing in skills training, supporting entrepreneurs, and creating pathways for young people to turn ideas into real businesses.” He announced ongoing work to develop a National Youth Development Framework, to be coordinated by the Office of the President, and urged youth to seize the training opportunity as a stepping stone to greater prosperity: “The road to success begins with education and skills,” he said, adding that the same training is taking place in Makeni, Kenema, and Bo.
The President also used the platform to caution the public about the dangers of harmful drugs. He issued a strong warning on the growing use of Kush and other substances, calling on citizens to report anyone involved in their importation and distribution: “When you buy Kush, the dealers’ businesses grow and your future perishes,” he cautioned.
At the launch of the Status of the Youth Report 2025, President Bio said the document captures the frustrations, aspirations and lived realities of Sierra Leonean youth. While highlighting areas of progress, the report also underscores pressing challenges such as rising living costs. “This report is not meant to criticise, it reminds us that developing the youth is a responsibility, not a favour,” he said, framing the findings as a call to sustained action rather than reproach.
Milton Margai Technical University’s Vice Chancellor and Principal, Prof. Philip John Kanu, welcomed the bike riders as bona fide members of the university community and thanked President Bio for upgrading the institution to university status and ensuring staff salaries reflect that change. He highlighted the collaboration between MMTU and the Ministry of Youth Affairs to approve short courses tailored for riders.
UN Resident Coordinator ad interim, Fredrick Ampiah, offered a broad perspective on the importance of bike riders to Sierra Leone’s transport ecosystem. He noted that bike riders represent roughly 5% of the country’s population—approximately 1.2 million people—and described the training programme as transformative, urging participants to cultivate the skills, knowledge and attitude needed to strengthen the sector.
Government ministers reinforced the multi-agency nature of the project. Minister of Technical and Higher Education, Dr Haja Ramatulai Wurie, said the initiative demonstrates how inter-ministerial collaboration can produce tangible opportunities for youth. Minister of Youth Affairs Ibrahim Sannoh described President Bio as a people-centred leader committed to human capital development and announced that future youth skills projects will be TVET-led and delivered at MMTU and other TVET institutions. “There is dignity in labour. Riders will not ride forever, this training is the first step,” he said, noting that 2026 will mark 30 years since bike riding emerged as a livelihood in Sierra Leone. As part of the project, Sannoh added, offices for bike riders in Makeni, Kenema, Bo and Freetown are being refurbished and new motorbikes have been purchased.
World Bank Country Manager Abdu Muwonge described the programme as a milestone and urged riders to take pride in their work. “A job is about dignity, not only a paycheck,” he said. “You cannot remain bike riders forever, but this is the beginning of your journey up the job ladder.”
Reflecting on the sector’s roots, President of the Bike Riders Union Ishmael Sandy recalled that bike riding began in 1996 when ex-combatants were trained to ride as an alternative to violence. “We are riders for peace, and we say no to violence,” he declared. Sandy praised President Bio’s leadership for providing training and opportunities that have helped riders transition into responsible citizens.
The inauguration and report launch mark a coordinated effort by government, development partners and the Bike Riders Union to invest in skills, dignity and opportunity for thousands of young people. With training, refurbished infrastructure, and new equipment, the programme aims to position bike riders not only as vital transport providers but as drivers of peace, productivity and national progress.
