By Aminata Abu Bakarr Kamara
In Sierra Leone today, young people make up the largest portion of the population energetic, vocal, connected, and increasingly eager to influence the future of their country, from street corners to social media, from community meetings to university debates, the voices of the youth are louder than ever, yet a troubling question hangs over our political landscape, are young people truly being empowered as partners in governance, or are they merely tools used during election seasons?
For decades, the political relevance of youth has too often been reduced to numbers and noise. They are mobilized to attend rallies, chant slogans, share posts, or wear party T-shirts only to be forgotten once the votes are counted, many young people have come to realize that while political parties admire their energy, they seldom value their opinions, youth are embraced as foot soldiers, but rarely as decision-makers.
This cycle of political tokenism has left many young people disillusioned. Leaders promise empowerment but offer little real inclusion, youth involvement becomes symbolic a photo opportunity, a campaign gimmick, or a speech crafted to stir emotions rather than genuine opportunities for leadership, mentorship, or policymaking, in such an environment, it becomes easy for young people to be used as political fuel without gaining meaningful access to power.
Yet beneath this discouraging reality lies another truth: Sierra Leone’s youth possess enormous potential to transform politics for the better, they are more educated, more technologically aware, more exposed to global ideas, and more willing to challenge outdated systems, their growing engagement in civic movements, community activism, and digital advocacy proves they are not merely a voting bloc they are a force demanding transparency, accountability, and national progress.
The challenge, however, is the path through which many young people enter politics. Rather than being groomed as leaders, they are pushed into roles that serve political elites. Instead of learning policy development, governance principles, or community service, they are trained to cheer, mobilize crowds, or attack opponents, this trajectory breeds frustration and disillusionment and at times, even violence because a youth population that feels excluded can easily become a tool for disruption.
If Sierra Leone is to move forward, this approach must change, youth involvement in politics should no longer be seasonal; it must be structural. Political parties need to create real spaces for young people to learn, contribute, and lead, youth deserve representation in advisory committees, research units, campaign think-tanks, and parliamentary opportunities not just youth wings with limited influence.
Parents and communities also have a role to play, many discourage constructive political participation, believing politics is inherently dirty, but if intelligent, visionary young people stay away, who then will clean the system?
At the same time, the youth themselves must rise above being used, they must demand platforms that allow them to think, not just follow; to influence decisions, not merely echo them. Sierra Leone needs young people who enter politics with purpose not for handouts, not for titles, but for progress, youth who understand that leadership is service, not a shortcut to power, youth who reject manipulation and embrace critical thinking, civic responsibility, and national unity.
And yes, hope still exists, across the country, young entrepreneurs, innovators, activists, and community leaders are breaking the stereotype of youth as mere noise-makers, what they lack is a political environment that validates their contributions and nurtures their ambitions.
The future of Sierra Leone depends on its youth not as tools for campaigns, but as architects of national transformation, political leaders must recognize this, and the youth must insist on it, only then will the voices of young people move beyond campaign rallies and begin shaping the destiny of the nation.
Copyright –Published in Expo Times News on Wednesday, 26th November 2025 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)
