Sierra Leone Targets 500,000 Youth Jobs by 2030
Minister Kenyeh Barlay has announced that the government is aiming to generate 500,000 jobs for young people by 2030, speaking as regional leaders and development experts called for stronger action to address youth unemployment across West Africa.
Speaking on behalf of the Vice President during the opening of the 29th Session of the Intergovernmental Committee of Senior Officials and Experts for West Africa in Freetown, Minister Barlay stated that youth employment remained a central priority under the Medium-Term National Development Plan 2024–2030.
She noted that agriculture offered significant employment potential through the Feed Salone programme and related value chains, while also highlighting that short-term work experience had been provided to roughly 15,000 young people in 2024 through community infrastructure projects.
Minister Barlay emphasized the critical role of technical and vocational education in delivering practical skills, though she acknowledged that underemployment, skills mismatches, limited financing, and climate vulnerability continued to impede progress. She urged governments to safeguard investments in human capital despite severe resource constraints.
Regional delegates at the meeting happening on 28th to 29th October, organized by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa in collaboration with Sierra Leone's Ministry of Planning and Economic Development, examined practical solutions to structural barriers facing youth across the subregion.
ECA Subregional Office Director Bouna Diop warned that population growth would not automatically yield economic gains without targeted investments in health, education, and productive work, citing informal employment and gender barriers as urgent challenges requiring economic diversification and digital technology integration.
United Nations Resident Coordinator Seraphine Wakana pointed to agribusiness, renewable energy, manufacturing, and the digital economy as key sectors for job creation, calling for multi-stakeholder collaboration across the subregion.
Adding to the discussion, Development Secretary Ambrose James stated that youth employment ought to be treated as a core economic strategy rather than a social welfare program, advocating for cross-cutting digitalization and inclusive policies for marginalized groups.
Outgoing Committee Chair Joseph M. Samah emphasized the necessity of continued investment in entrepreneurship and regional integration through the African Continental Free Trade Area.
Concluding her remarks, Minister Barlay called for an action-oriented Freetown Declaration supported by measurable targets, clear timelines, and robust progress monitoring mechanisms to ensure tangible outcomes for young people.
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