Sierra Leone charts path toward digital sovereignty

Sierra Leone has convened pivotal workshops in Kenema and Makeni focused on harnessing Digital Public Goods (DPGs) for national development. The two-day seminars, organized by the Directorate of Science, Technology and Innovation with support from UNICEF Sierra Leone and the Ministry of Communication, Technology and Innovation, marked a strategic shift from technology consumption to local creation. 

Held at digital learning hubs within Ernest Bai Koroma University and Eastern Technical University, the sessions brought together students, academics, and technology trainers to explore how open-source solutions could address local challenges. The workshops emphasized moving beyond passive adoption of foreign technologies to active participation in building and contributing to global digital commons. 

A central theme emerged during faculty discussions: the urgent need to modernize university curricula to prepare graduates for the digital economy. Educators stressed the importance of continuous professional development to bridge the gap between academic training and industry requirements in fast-evolving tech fields. 

Seasoned practitioners led practical demonstrations, with Hawa Kallon of the Christiex Foundation and Abdul Rahim Jalloh, DPG Lead at MoCTI, illustrating how Sierra Leone's DPG Pipeline initiative provides technical guidance, mentorship, and funding pathways for young innovators. Their presentations highlighted real-world applications of open-source technologies in solving community-specific problems. 

The initiative reflects Sierra Leone's ambitious vision to develop technological self-sufficiency by empowering its youth to become creators rather than mere consumers of digital solutions. By establishing these learning hubs in regional universities, the program ensures geographic inclusion in the nation's digital transformation agenda. 

By:  Nana Appiah Acquaye