(Reflections From An Academic Soothsayer)
If you felt optimistic about Sierra Leone’s future, the events that unfolded over the past few days might have left you scratching your head. These events highlight where the majority of Sierra Leone’s youth are investing their energy. This should be a cause for concern.
On June 30th, President Bio participated in a Presidential Townhall in Makeni, marking another stop in his efforts to engage with the media and the public. During this town hall, the president answered numerous questions from citizens and the moderator, with the event facilitated by the Ministry of Information and Civic Education. He addressed topics such as governance, electricity supply, the Feed Salone program, youth employment and economic opportunities, foreign direct investment, the drug crisis, and many more.
I had hoped that Sierra Leone’s youthful population would actively discuss the issues raised by the president in digital spaces, especially since much of the information focused on young people. I completely read the room wrongly. This engagement by the president did not trend on major independent platforms owned and curated by young Sierra Leoneans, particularly in the blogosphere.
The weekend following President Bio’s town hall, a concerning situation involving a minor emerged on social media. Private, explicit content featuring the daughter of a famous fashion icon, model, and reality TV star was leaked to the public. The vulnerability of this young girl sparked widespread conversation. From TikTok livestreams to Facebook posts, the incident became a trending topic across various social media platforms, dominating discussions for three consecutive days. This situation underscores where a significant portion of the country’s youth is choosing to invest their energy, time, and voices.
A nation begins to thrive when its populace, especially the youth, concentrates on the issues that truly matter, as they represent the country’s future. Unfortunately, in Sierra Leone, this does not appear to be the case lately. There seems to be an increasing obsession with social media drama, gossip, bullying, chaos, and controversies. To hold the government accountable, the people need to develop a collective awareness, which currently seems lacking in present-day Sierra Leone.
In his second term as President of Sierra Leone, Julius Maada Bio promised to create 500,000 jobs for the youth. He clearly stated this in his Big Five Agenda. At his stop in Makeni, the president addressed youth employment unconvincingly. He stated that the first point of contact for employment starts with education. Furthermore, he encouraged the youths to embrace skills development as a pathway to employment. I disagree with this submission by the president. From his comments at the town hall, I knew the president was unfamiliar with the current state of the skills development sector. I believe a robust public policy framework and adequate infrastructure are vital for attracting job creators. This can accelerate capital flow into the economy.
I believe it would be beneficial for President Bio to tour the skills training centres in Sierra Leone. This would help him understand that most of the skills taught in these institutions are outdated, obsolete, and extinct from the 21st-century conversations. Sadly, most of the skills training centres in Sierra Leone are still stuck in the 1990s.
The youth should use their platforms to ask the president direct questions about the status of his promise to create 500,000 jobs as part of his Big Five Agenda.
Whilst discussing economic opportunities, the president advocated for foreign direct investment and encouraged citizens to market Sierra Leone as a prime investment destination. He argued that this could help attract potential investors. While I understand President Bio wants to foster a sense of nationalism among citizens, the reality is that Sierra Leone is not the best place for investment.
In countries that have successfully achieved economic development, the transformation was driven by local resources and homegrown entrepreneurs. These countries did not wait for outsiders to initiate investment. I wish the president would focus more on encouraging citizens to invest in Sierra Leone, rather than looking to outsiders. To attract investment effectively, the SLPP-led government needs to prioritise developing sound economic policies and building solid infrastructure to facilitate capital flows. The subject of economic opportunities is something youths should be obsessed with.
The president was asked about the support his government is providing to farmers. In response, he praised rural farmers for their contributions to the agricultural sector and reiterated his flagship program, Feed Salone. However, I believe the Head of State missed a significant opportunity to educate the public about the strategic pillars and objectives of this program. Instead, he focused on familiar, abstract theoretical concepts. He called for the “modernisation” of the agro-food sector, but I found his arguments in favour of using genetically modified seeds and chemical fertilisers perplexing. If he genuinely aims for a healthy population, promoting genetically modified seeds and chemical fertilisers is not the way to go. I will save this discussion for another time. Besides Feed Salone being the government’s flagship program, the program design included Strategic Pillar Six (6), dedicated to the empowerment of youth. In addition, Objective Three (3) focuses on job creation and income generation for young people. Why are young Sierra Leoneans refusing to engage with content like this on a large scale?
Sierra Leone is currently facing a serious issue with narcotic drugs. During the Makeni town hall meeting, the president was questioned about his government’s response to combat this challenge. To his credit, President Bio mentioned several tangible steps his government has taken, including an upgrade of the drug laws. He also urged citizens to report drug lords in their communities.
However, I wish the president had addressed the elephant in the room. His family has been directly implicated in the drug crisis. There are videos of the most wanted drug lord in Europe, Jos Leijdekkers, sitting with the presidential entourage at a church event some time ago. Other sources have claimed that this same man had romantic ties with a woman affiliated with the First Family. Is it not interesting how the moderator, who also serves as the Minister of Information and Civic Education, avoided asking the president direct questions about the drug baron from Holland? The drug epidemic has had a significant impact on the youth population in Sierra Leone.
During President Bio’s recent town hall, he discussed several key issues concerning the country’s youth. I was disappointed that most of the blogosphere ignored an important conversation and instead focused on a trivial matter. Those with digital platforms should help steer young people towards consuming content on serious topics. This idea of investing attention in vulgarity, nudity, pettiness, and mediocrity has distracted youth from holding the government accountable for its actions. If this trend continues, it could lead to a generation of young people who invest in the wrong areas and struggle with critical thinking skills. Most of these platforms have found joy in an unregulated space by constantly unleashing explicit content on a youthful population that is intellectually vulnerable. Well-trained young journalists, academics, and pundits must engage actively in the digital space. They can help curate content that is empowering, uplifting, nurturing, and positive.
It is important to remember that you are shaped by what you consume, whether it be food or information/content. I am genuinely concerned about the content consumption habits of youth in Sierra Leone. Never did I imagine that a minor’s vulnerability would overshadow a town hall meeting where the president discussed pertinent issues of national development.
Youths, we can do better!!!
Paul A. Conteh (Octopus)
