Sierra Leone’s Chief Minister, Dr. David Moinina Sengeh has said at the ongoing World Governments Summit in Dubai that there is urgent need for radically new solutions in the African continent to steer inclusive growth and development.
Dr. Sengeh made the statement while speaking on Tuesday, 11th January, 2025, at the Summit’s opening session on the topic: “New Economic Revolution: An African Perspective”. He noted that to enable progress, the continent would need to adopt different policies, institutional reforms and radical social-democratic solutions that work for everyone. He added that inequalities cannot drive development and these infrastructural reforms must work for everyone.
The Chief Minister stated that the progress in Sierra Leone had been largely driven by the exemplary leadership of His Excellency President Dr. Julius Maada Bio who has made investments in human capital as his priority, noting that government’s investments and reforms in education, gender and good governance were all yielding dividends quite quickly. He further stated that a critical step in his country’s development process had been a focus on inclusion and impact.
“The President has told the world about radical inclusion. This not just a random idea. It is that the things that work have to work for everyone. I do feel that when there is economic progress positively for a few, there will be civil and political chaos for the majority. If we are speaking about new economic revolution, it has to be for everyone and the impact that we speak about must be felt by everyone,” Dr. Sengeh told the global audience, while also highlighting the reforms Sierra Leone has made to ensure its mineral resources benefit its citizens.
President of the African Development Bank, Dr. Akinwuni Adesina spoke on the significance of Africa’s youthful population, saying that with over 70% of its population being below the ages of 35, Africa was going to be the workforce and the labour workshop for the world with skills, talents, entrepreneurship that would unleash the world of innovation. He also stated that the continent was endowed with resources for the energy transition, saying that what Africa actually does with its resources would shape the future of the world.
Also at the panel was Founder of the Tony Elumelu Foundation, Tony Elumelu, who also spoke of the tremendous investment opportunities in the African region.
The World Governments Summit is an annual event that gathers key policy makers and private sector stakeholders from across the world to discuss issues facing humanity. This year’s edition is held under the theme: “Shaping Future Governments”.
Credit: Mohamed Lamin Massaquoi, Information Attachè, United Arab Emirates