The Development Secretary in the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development (MoPED), Mr. Peter Sam Kparka, said at the validation workshop of the Demographic Dividend Profile of Sierra Leone, that the document reflects three years of dedicated efforts by MoPED and UNFPA to strategically harness the country’s demographic potential, underscoring that the unique characteristics of Sierra Leone’s predominantly youthful population, acknowledges the transformative opportunities that can arise when the demographic dividend is effectively leverage to accelerate national development.
He made the statement on Thursday 14th November 2024 at the Council of Churches Hall on King Harman Road in Freetown, where 50 participants from various government Ministries, Departments and Agencies, the Bank of Sierra Leone, Statistics Sierra Leone, Members of Parliament, Civil Society Organizations and the media, assembled to validate the document.
Mr. Peter Sam-Kpaka articulated that the Demographic Dividend Profile for Sierra Leone presents a comprehensive assessment of the country’s demographic landscape, highlighting population structure, age distribution and key socio-economic factors, observing that such insights are essential to the creation of sound evidence-based policies that foster inclusive growth and addresses the diverse needs of the country’s population, underscoring that the invaluable support of UNFPA and MoPED to engage a local consultant to develop the profile is to ensure that it is well-grounded in local expertise and understanding of the country’s specific needs.
According to the Development Secretary, the validation marks a pivotal moment for stakeholders to collectively refine and enhance the profile, welcome insights and feedback with perspectives crucial to ensuring that the final document not only captures accurate data, but also reflects the aspirations, challenges and dynamics unique to Sierra Leone, stressing that when finalized, the Demographic Dividend Profile would serve as a guiding tool for policymakers, planners and development partners, anchoring the country’s approach to initiatives that unlock the full potential of Sierra Leone’s demographic dividend.
Mr. Peter Sam-Kparka further assured that the country and its development partners would continue scaling-up investments in key areas identified within the profile, citing efforts to focus on sustainable resource management, climate resilience, food security and domestic revenue generation to strengthen the fiscal foundation of the economy, adding that government is determined to address the pressing challenges facing youths: a significant demographic group that continues to experience high levels of unemployment, underemployment and limited access to education and skills development.
He revealed that the country would leverage the potential of its young people, recognize the significant contributions of the aging population that is overlooked, in spite of the fact that it is a reservoir of knowledge and experience to actively participate in sectors such as small-scale agriculture, and contributing to the caregiving ecosystem within families by optimizing their engagement to achieve a more realistic and inclusive approach to socio-economic development, integrating all generations in the national growth process.
The Development Secretary went on, “government is very cognizant of reaping the potential of its young people. It is in this regard Cluster 4 of the Big Five Game Changers of the Medium-Term National Development Plan, in collaboration with the private sector and other stakeholders, plans to create 5,000 jobs for youths by 2030.”
Mr. Peter Sam-Kpaka also asserted that government remains steadfast in its efforts to strengthen governance, enhance service delivery and fortify the statistical systems that underpin informed decision-making and that through the modernization of Sierra Leone’s National Statistical System, led by Statistics Sierra Leone, timely and reliable data would be provided that informs policies across agriculture, health, education and beyond, driving forward the government’s Big Five Game Changers Agenda and concluded by commending UNFPA for its unwavering support to the process.
Highlights of the event were a PowerPoint presentation of the Demographic Dividend Profile for Sierra Leone by the local consultant, Mr. Wogba Kamara, group work and presentations on four topics: Population Dynamics, Youth Empowerment and Education, Health and Wellbeing and Economic Potential and Employment.
Others were the way forward and finalization of the Demographic Dividend Profile Validation, the question and answer session and the vote of thanks by one of the participants.