Africa-Press – Sierra-Leone. Sierra Leone’s Minister of Youth Affairs, Ibrahim Sannoh, has emerged as a leading voice in shaping Africa’s future at the International Skills and Workforce Alliance 2025 (ISWA2025).
Moderating a high-level session on “Linking Industrial Skills Transformation with the Demographic Dividend and Inclusive Development,” Minister Sannoh outlined a bold vision for youth empowerment, responsible technology use, and regional collaboration.
During his remarks, Minister Sannoh emphasized the urgent need for responsible Artificial Intelligence (AI) guidelines as Africa rapidly transitions toward a digital and industrial future.
He warned that “Without guidelines, AI risks empowering only the empowered. With them, we can make AI a tool for inclusion, ethics, and opportunity.” He stressed that AI should serve as a catalyst for inclusive development rather than deepen inequality.
The Minister also called for stronger integration between academia and industry, urging African institutions to align curricula, apprenticeships, and research with the evolving needs of the workforce.
He highlighted the importance of cross-border collaboration in research and development, encouraging knowledge-sharing to empower young Africans to innovate using locally grounded data and insights.
Echoing the importance of youth-driven development, Minister Sannoh declared: “Nothing for us, without us in Africa. What do we want to be remembered for? Africa should achieve self-sufficiency because, together we can.” He further stressed mindset transformation, noting that Africa’s demographic advantage lies not only in numbers but in the potential of its youngok people to lead change: “You have to be the change; you have to first change. And believe in the Africa We Want.”
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