By Saidu Jalloh, D.S. Reporter
LUNGI — Sierra Leone has launched a national digital employment platform aimed at breaking the cycle of nepotism and giving young people direct access to jobs based on merit.
The Youth Employment Portal was unveiled on Tuesday, August 12, 2026, during International Youth Day celebrations at the Julius Maada Bio International Conference Centre in Lungi, held under the national theme “Harnessing Youth Innovation and Resilience for National Transformation.”
The portal, developed by the Ministry of Youth Affairs with World Bank support under the PSSNYE Project, aims to solve a core problem in Sierra Leone’s labour market: lack of access to information about available opportunities.
The platform allows young Sierra Leoneans to create professional profiles, upload certifications, search for vacancies and apply directly to employers. Companies can also advertise openings and recruit candidates based on skills and qualifications, rather than personal connections.
Delivering the keynote address on behalf of Vice President Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh, Minister of Planning and Economic Development Kenyeh Barlay said the new system is designed to shift hiring practices.
“Opportunity should not depend primarily on who you know,” Barlay said. “It should increasingly depend on what you can do, what you can contribute, and whether you are prepared to compete.”
Barlay called on private-sector employers, government institutions and development partners to actively use the platform, and urged young people to register and maintain credible profiles.
Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Youth Affairs, Dr. Phillip D. Kargbo, said government must move beyond treating young people as future leaders and start recognizing them as contributors to national development today. He cited unemployment, limited access to finance, skills gaps and unequal education as key barriers that require practical platforms for youth participation in solutions.
The International Youth Day commemoration also featured the formal launch of the Roadmap for the Development of Sierra Leone’s National Action Plan on Youth, Peace and Security. Barlay described the roadmap as a critical framework for ensuring young people become active partners in building and sustaining peace, not merely beneficiaries.
“Peace is not an inheritance one generation can simply hand to another — every generation must protect it, deepen it and renew it,” Barlay said.
United Nations Resident Coordinator Seraphine Wakana commended the government for prioritizing youth employment and human capital development, but cautioned that more work is needed to create decent jobs at scale.
Barlay stressed that the success of the initiative will be measured by results, not announcements.
“Our commitment to young people will not be judged by the number of programmes we announce or platforms we launch,” she said. “It will be judged by whether a qualified young person can find opportunity without depending exclusively on personal connections.”
The event also featured a Creative Economy Talent Exposition with 100 youth-led businesses in fashion, arts and music, and the certification of 1,200 youth bike riders trained in alternative livelihoods.
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