Sierra Leone commanded international attention at the 80th United Nations General Assembly, presenting a compelling blueprint for investing in the country’s youngest members of society.
At a pivotal high-level sideline engagement, the Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education, Conrad Sackey, stood before global leaders not just to participate, but to proclaim a fundamental truth: the future is built in the earliest years of life.
The event, “Unlocking the Future: A Global Call to Invest in the Early Years,” convened by UNICEF and Their world, became the stage where Sierra Leone transitioned from a nation with a story to tell to a sovereign voice with a model to emulate. Minister Sackey’s address was a direct articulation of President Dr. Julius Maada Bio’s core vision, framing strategic investment in children not as a social expenditure, but as the most critical national security and economic development imperative of our time.
Against a backdrop of global uncertainty, rapid technological change, and climate disruption, the gathering underscored a universal need for resilient, agile future generations. Sierra Leone’s presentation provided the roadmap, showcasing a journey from diagnosing a learning crisis to implementing a nationally scaled solution that is now capturing the world’s attention.
Minister Sackey detailed the government’s decisive, evidence-based response to the 2022 EGMA/EGRA Baseline Assessment, which revealed systemic challenges in early childhood preparedness. “Confronted with the clear evidence that our children were starting school unprepared for learning, we did not hesitate. Under President Bio’s leadership, we built a comprehensive strategy from the ground up,” Minister Sackey stated during his panel address.
The acclaimed “Sierra Leone Model” features a robust, three-pillar architecture:
The National Policy on Integrated Early Childhood Development (2021) establishes the right to equitable access to quality early learning.
Strategic integration of explicit early childhood targets within the national Education Sector Plan. Legislative backing through the landmark Basic and Senior Secondary Education Act, which enshrined pre-primary education as a legal right
Beyond policy, Sierra Leone captivated partners with its pioneering approach to financing. Minister Sackey unveiled an innovative outcomes fund, established in partnership with the Education Outcomes Fund, powered by a coalition of global leaders including the LEGO Foundation, the European Union, and the Government of Denmark. This $15 million initiative is strategically targeted to reach 100,000 children in Sierra Leone’s most vulnerable communities.
“Our Partnership Compact, ‘Foundation Learning for All,’ places pre-primary education as one of five non-negotiable pillars of reform,” Minister Sackey declared. “This is the very essence of President Bio’s Human Capital Development agenda; it is strategic economic planning that begins at our children’s cradles.”
The event served as the launch platform for the first-ever International Finance Summit for Early Childhood, which Sierra Leone proudly endorsed as a champion nation. This global initiative aims to mobilize $1 billion for early year’s interventions, and Sierra Leone’s proven track record positions it as a central advocate of this movement.
The Minister further illustrated the nation’s holistic approach by highlighting groundbreaking initiatives, such as therapeutic play labs in children’s hospitals and prisons, as well as the recent launch of a Toy Library. These programs, coupled with new quality standards, play-based teacher guides, and tailored learning materials, form a comprehensive ecosystem of support for the nation’s children.
Sierra Leone’s prominent role at this UNGA event marks a strategic evolution in its global positioning. By presenting a coherent, well-financed, and legally backed national model with measurable outcomes, Sierra Leone demonstrates to the world how determined nations can overcome resource constraints to drive meaningful, transformative change.
Sierra Leone now stands shoulder to shoulder with countries like South Africa, Ukraine, and Brazil at the forefront of a global movement, solidifying President Bio’s legacy of transforming the country through the unwavering belief that its greatest resource is its people
