Africa-Press – Sierra-Leone. President Dr. Julius Maada Bio has inaugurated the Alternative Livelihoods Training for Youth Bike Riders for Peace and officially unveiled the Status of the Youth Report 2025 at the Milton Margai Technical University Campus in Goderich.
The initiative, supported by the UN Peacebuilding Fund, will train 1,300 bike riders in new vocational skills aimed at improving their livelihoods and strengthening their role in national development.
President Bio praised bike riders as “essential pillars of mobility and community life,” noting their contribution to transportation across Sierra Leone. He reaffirmed his government’s focus on human capital development, stating, “The most important mineral for transforming Sierra Leone is human capital.”
He encouraged the riders to embrace the opportunity, emphasizing that similar training is also underway in Makeni, Kenema, and Bo.
Presenting the Status of the Youth Report 2025, President Bio said the document reflects both progress and challenges faced by young people, including rising living costs. He stressed that youth development is a national responsibility, not a favour.
The President also issued a strong warning against the spread of Kush and other harmful drugs, urging citizens to report those involved in their importation and distribution.
Milton Margai University Vice Chancellor, Prof. Philip John Kanu, welcomed the riders as new members of the institution and commended the government for strengthening the university’s capacity.
UN Resident Coordinator a.i., Fredrick Ampiah, highlighted that bike riders make up an estimated 5% of Sierra Leone’s population and described the programme as transformative for the transport sector.
Officials including the Minister of Technical and Higher Education, Dr. Haja Ramatulai Wurie, and the Minister of Youth Affairs, Ibrahim Sannoh, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to youth empowerment through TVET-led training.
World Bank Country Manager, Abdu Muwonge, encouraged participants to see every job as a source of dignity, while the Bike Riders Union President, Ishmael Sandy, reaffirmed the union’s longstanding identity as “riders for peace.”
The programme marks a renewed national effort to equip young Sierra Leoneans with practical skills, promote peace, and open new economic pathways for bike riders across the country.
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