President Julius Maada Bio, on 23rd May 2023, launched the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) 2023 manifesto, dubbed the ‘People’s Manifesto’, with the title “The New Direction: Consolidating the Gains and Accelerating Transformation.” Among the priority areas captured in the manifesto is agriculture, with the President promising to increase budgetary support to the sector, as well as encourage private sector involvement.
The manifesto aims to
build on the success of the New Direction’s national development agenda and propel Sierra Leone towards a brighter future.
Speaking during the launching ceremony, President Bio emphasized the importance of the People’s Manifesto in consolidating previous achievements and expediting the country’s social and economic transformation. Under the slogan “PAOPA SALONE MUST BETTEH,” the manifesto outlines five key initiatives that will shape Sierra Leone’s path towards inclusive prosperity and sustainable development.
The manifesto proposes “Five Big Game Changers” for sustainable economic growth and social progress as follows:
1 FEED SALONE: An Initiative to Boost Agricultural Productivity to Ensure Food Security and Inclusive Economic Growth
H.E. President’s top priority in his second term is for Sierra Leone to be food self-sufficient. The next SLPP government will boost agricultural productivity by increasing investment, which will fuel inclusive economic growth, boost food production, reduce hunger & poverty, create jobs, boost export earnings and build our resilience in the face of climate change.
2 HUMAN CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT: Nurturing Skills for 21st Century Industry
Inclusive economic growth relies on skilled and educated human capital. In the next five years, the SLPP government will invest in developing the technical and vocational skills required to grow the economy, focusing particularly on creating equal opportunity for women. We will invest in health systems to develop a healthy and capable workforce for a 21st century economy.
3 YOUTH EMPLOYMENT SCHEME (YES!): A Presidential Initiative to create 500,000 jobs for the youths in five years
YES! is a Presidential Initiative to harness the energy of Sierra Leone’s youths by creating 500,000 jobs in the next five years. These jobs will include skills and unskilled, long-term and seasonal jobs across all sectors. This will be done by providing incentives to the private sector to hire, train, and upskill, especially young women and girls.
4 REVAMPING THE PUBLIC SERVICE ARCHITECTURE: Delivery, Efficiency and Professionalism
In the next five years, the SLPP will continue its mission to fostering a professional and meritocratic public service that is fit for purpose and delivers on its mandate. Our goal is to attract, support and retain the best and the brightest to serve the people of Sierra Leone.
5 TECH AND INFRASTRUCTURE: Pathways for Sustained Economic Growth (TIPEG)
The SLPP government will accelerate its inclusive growth agenda by investing in infrastructure, technology and digitisation. This will be done by investing in energy generation and transmission, the construction of roads and bridges, expanding energy access across the country, and making it easier to link production centres and markets. We aim to digitise our financial sector to expand financial inclusion, as a way to increase economic participation.
President Bio believes that making substantial progress in these key areas will set Sierra Leone on a sustainable trajectory of transformational change, poverty reduction, and resilience in the face of external shocks.
The manifesto launch was accompanied by a social media campaign, with hashtags such as #BIOJALLOH2023, #SLPP4DEVELOPMENT, and #SLPPMANIFESTO2023, reflecting the party’s commitment to promoting President Bio’s vision for a better Sierra Leone.
As Sierra Leone moves forward, President Bio and the SLPP aim to rally support and collaboration to realize the goals outlined in the People’s Manifesto, ensuring that the country continues on its path of progress and development.
