By Aminata Abu Bakarr Kamara
Across Sierra Leone today, a quiet but powerful conversation is unfolding in homes, campuses, and street corners: Who is leaving next?
From university graduates to skilled technicians, from nurses to informal workers, increasing numbers of young Sierra Leoneans are setting their sights on opportunities abroad. For many, migration is no longer framed as ambition alone it is framed as survival.
Youth unemployment and underemployment remain pressing challenges. Each year, thousands graduate from universities and technical institutes with hope and qualifications, only to encounter a labour market that cannot absorb them. Degrees are earned, but jobs are scarce. Skills are developed, but opportunities are limited. In such an environment, frustration becomes inevitable.
For some, migration is about professional growth. For many others, it is about economic security the ability to support family members, pay school fees for siblings, or contribute to household income. Remittances from Sierra Leoneans abroad have become an invisible pillar supporting countless homes. In difficult economic times, the diaspora often acts as a national safety net.
There is also the issue of confidence. Young people want systems that reward merit, encourage innovation, and provide clear pathways for advancement. When recruitment processes are perceived as opaque, when entrepreneurship is constrained by high costs and limited access to finance, and when wages fail to match the rising cost of living, the appeal of foreign opportunities intensifies.
Healthcare professionals provide a striking example. Reports of doctors and nurses leaving for better pay and working conditions abroad reflect both global demand and local dissatisfaction. This trend, often described as “brain drain,” creates a difficult cycle: the more skilled professionals depart, the more strain is placed on already stretched systems at home.
Yet it would be inaccurate to portray migration solely as a failure of the state. Migration is a global phenomenon. Young people everywhere seek mobility, exposure, and opportunity. The difference lies in whether migration is a choice or a necessity.
When young Sierra Leoneans speak about leaving, the language often reveals urgency rather than adventure. It is less about exploration and more about escape escape from uncertainty, economic stagnation, and limited prospects.
A nation’s youth population is its greatest asset. Energy, creativity, and innovation reside largely within this demographic. When large numbers leave especially the educated and skilled the country risks losing not only talent but also momentum.
At the same time, the diaspora holds enormous potential. Sierra Leoneans abroad contribute remittances, skills, networks, and investment. The question, therefore, is not how to prevent migration entirely. It is how to transform migration from permanent loss into circular opportunity.
Job creation must move beyond policy statements into measurable results. Investment in agriculture, technology, manufacturing, and small-scale industries must translate into real employment. Access to affordable credit for young entrepreneurs must expand. Technical and vocational education must align with market demand. Most importantly, governance systems must foster transparency and merit so that young people believe success is achievable without connections.
Young Sierra Leoneans are not asking for miracles. They are asking for pathways clear, fair, and attainable pathways to dignity and stability.Migration should be a choice born of aspiration, not a decision driven by desperation.
If the country can create conditions where talent is valued, effort rewarded, and innovation supported, then staying will become as attractive as leaving. Until then, airports will continue to witness tearful goodbyes, and families will continue to depend on distant remittances.
The conversation, therefore, should not be framed as patriotism versus departure. It should be framed as responsibility national responsibility to build a system where young people can thrive without feeling compelled to look elsewhere.
Because when survival becomes the primary reason to migrate, the real issue is not movement it is missed opportunity at home.
Copyright –Published in Expo Times News on Wednesday, 4th March 2026 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)
