Sierra Leone has launched a pioneering national Artificial Intelligence (AI) Readiness Assessment in collaboration with the World Bank. This initiative, a key part of the Sierra Leone Digital Transformation Project, aims to responsibly leverage AI to solve critical development challenges.
The initial findings were presented at a meeting in Freetown that united government officials with leaders from academia, civil society, and the private sector. The assessment carefully evaluates the nation’s preparedness for AI adoption, focusing on three essential pillars: digital infrastructure and computing power, the capacity of its workforce and talent pool, and the policy and regulatory context. The results will provide a foundational blueprint for Sierra Leone’s upcoming National Artificial Intelligence Strategy.
Salima Monorma Bah, Minister of Communication, Technology and Innovation, underscored the strategic intent behind the move. “We are not asking how to fit AI into our systems; we are asking which national challenges AI can help us solve today,” she stated.
This forward-thinking approach establishes Sierra Leone as a potential regional leader in the ethical and inclusive adoption of AI. By concentrating on local priorities such as education, healthcare, and public administration, the government plans to use AI to enhance service delivery and accelerate sustainable growth. Both the Ministry and the World Bank stressed that ongoing collaboration with all sectors of society is vital to ensure the responsible and equitable implementation of AI for the benefit of all citizens.
With this assessment, Sierra Leone joins a select group of nations globally that are proactively planning their AI integration, marking a significant commitment to future-ready development in the digital era.