The inaugural MRU Youth Connekt 2026 has successfully concluded in Freetown, drawing more than 2,000 young leaders, entrepreneurs, innovators, and policymakers from across the Mano River Union for a landmark three-day regional forum.
Held at the Freetown International Conference Centre from June 18 to 20, the event marked the first time Sierra Leone has hosted the youth assembly. Delegates travelled from Liberia, Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire, and across Sierra Leone to take part in symposiums, masterclasses, cultural exchanges, and networking sessions.
Organised in collaboration with the Mano River Union Secretariat, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and YouthConnekt Africa, the forum was held under the theme: “One Region. One Generation. One Future.” It set out a vision of regional unity among young people across West Africa’s Mano River basin.
Minister Calls for Regional Solidarity
Opening the forum on Thursday, June 18, Sierra Leone’s Minister of Youth Affairs, Ibrahim Sannoh, called for stronger regional cooperation, saying the MRU countries must work together to confront what he described as a “shared predicament” affecting young people.
Addressing more than 2,000 delegates, Minister Sannoh highlighted persistent challenges including unemployment, substance abuse, inequality, climate change, and hunger.
“We have a shared predicament within the Mano River Union,” he said. “We are facing unemployment, substance abuse, social injustices, climate change, hunger and many other challenges. But our collective resolve—our determination to reimagine how we respond—will provide solutions.”
He added that the forum was a platform for unity and shared purpose.
“This is why this conference is here. This is why we are here from Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. That is why we say: One Region, One Generation, One Future.”
A Generation Facing Common Challenges
The minister stressed that the challenges confronting young people cut across national borders and require coordinated regional responses.
- Unemployment: Youth joblessness remains high across the MRU countries, with many young people relying on informal work for survival.
- Substance Abuse: Rising drug use among young people continues to raise concern, with Sierra Leone recently declaring a national response to drug abuse.
- Climate Change: Flooding, coastal erosion, and erratic rainfall are increasingly affecting farming and fishing communities across the region.
- Food Insecurity: The World Food Programme warns that millions in West Africa face acute food shortages driven by climate shocks and economic pressures.
Technology and Innovation Highlighted
Minister Sannoh urged participants to embrace innovation and emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, as tools for economic empowerment and problem-solving.
He reaffirmed government commitment to youth development through skills training, mentorship, and improved access to finance, while calling on private sector actors and development partners to scale up investment in youth-led initiatives.
The programme featured masterclasses on entrepreneurship, leadership, and innovation, alongside cultural exchanges designed to strengthen regional identity and collaboration.
First Lady and UN Call for Action
First Lady Fatima Maada Bio told delegates that young women must be placed at the centre of leadership and development, stressing that they are already leaders today, not in the future.
“You are not leaders of tomorrow. You are leaders of today,” she said.
United Nations Resident Coordinator Seraphine Wakana also called for greater youth inclusion in peacebuilding, climate resilience, and economic development, praising MRU countries for strengthening cooperation around youth empowerment.
‘A Movement, Not a Moment’
Ambassador Simeon B. Moribah, Secretary General of the Mano River Union, described the forum as part of a broader effort to build a sustainable regional youth movement anchored in long-term development goals.
He said the strong turnout of over 2,000 delegates reflected growing momentum for regional integration and youth engagement across the MRU bloc.
As the event closed on Saturday, delegates departed Freetown with renewed calls for action and collaboration.
“We are not waiting for tomorrow. We are here today, and we are ready to act,” said one delegate from Liberia.
Key Quote
“We have a shared predicament within the Mano River Union, unemployment, substance abuse, social injustices, climate change, hunger and many other challenges. But our collective resolve—our determination to reimagine how we respond—will provide solutions. This is why this conference is here. This is why we are here from Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. That is why we say: One Region, One Generation, One Future.”
— Ibrahim Sannoh, Minister of Youth Affairs, Sierra Leone
