President Bio leads global education financing as GPE Champion

President Bio leads global education financing as GPE Champion

The Global Partnership for Education (GPE) has officially designated Julius Maada Bio, President of Sierra Leone and Chairman of ECOWAS, as a Global Champion for Sustainable Education Financing. This prestigious appointment, announced on March 11, 2026, tasks President Bio with mobilizing international political leadership to expand educational funding and accelerate global progress toward quality learning for all children.

This recognition stems from Sierra Leone's transformative Free Quality School Education Initiative, launched in 2018. Under President Bio's stewardship, the nation has increased education spending to over 20 percent of its national budget. These reforms have resulted in a 50 percent surge in school enrollment—adding one million new learners—and provided daily meals to 800,000 students. Furthermore, the initiative has successfully narrowed the gender gap in primary education and contributed to a marked decline in teenage pregnancy rates.

In his new capacity, President Bio will advocate for GPE's "Multiply Possibility" campaign, which seeks to mobilize $5 billion in donor contributions and unlock $10 billion in co-financing. 

His efforts will support over 90 countries, directly impacting the lives of nearly 750 million children. President Bio emphasized that investing in education is the fundamental cornerstone of national development and the primary catalyst for building prosperous, resilient societies for future generations.