FREETOWN, Sierra Leone – The Government of Sierra Leone has officially launched a National Digital Skills Training Programme aimed at equipping over 1,000 civil servants with practical digital competencies over the next eight to nine months.
The initiative, announced Friday at the New Broomfield Hotel in Freetown, is a coordinated effort by the Ministry of Communication, Technology and Innovation (MoCTI), the Ministry of Public Administration and Political Affairs (MoPAPA), and the Civil Service Training College (CSTC) to strengthen digital capability across the country’s public service.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Stevenson Kamanda, Permanent Secretary of MoCTI, described the digital transformation drive as a national priority.
“The digital transformation drive we are about to launch is a priority of government and by extension the civil servants, for the next eight to nine months we are going to expand the digital aptitude to over 1,000 civil servants of MDAs across this country,” Kamanda said.
The programme will deliver training through 30 cohorts at the Civil Service Training College, covering practical digital skills, artificial intelligence literacy, modern productivity tools, electronic document management, data management, and cybersecurity awareness.
Mohamed Kutubu, Permanent Secretary of MoPAPA, emphasized the strategic necessity of the initiative, noting that digital transformation has become an imperative for governments worldwide.
“Digital transformation is no longer an option but imperative. Governments across the world are leveraging digital technology to improve efficiency, transparency, accountability and responsiveness,” Kutubu said. “Sierra Leone cannot afford to be left behind. This digital skills training is therefore timely and strategic. It will equip the civil servants with practical competencies in digital productivity tools, electronic document management, data management, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and other emerging technologies that will reshape the workforce.”
The programme operates under a Memorandum of Understanding between MoCTI and MoPAPA and supports the objectives outlined in the Medium-Term National Development Plan 2024-2030, specifically aligning with the President’s Big Five Game Changers, including Human Capital Development, Technology and Infrastructure, and Public Service Transformation.
Prince E.O. Cole, Head of Civil Service and Cabinet Secretary, delivered the keynote address, stressing the importance of cultivating digital leadership within the public service.
“At the heart of this initiative, there is a need for digital leadership within the digital space, within the public service. The economy alone does not drive transformation, people do,” Cole said. “We must cultivate a new generation of leaders who are digitally aware, sensitive and forward-looking. Digital leadership requires competence through innovation, willingness to learn, to transform traditional ways of working.”
Officials explained that the mandate to coordinate public service transformation includes developing a roadmap by 2030, identifying eight strategic pillars, with one pillar focusing specifically on e-governance and digital transformation, encompassing both the digitalisation of government systems and the development of a digitally competent workforce.
The initiative represents a significant step toward modernising Sierra Leone’s public service, with the first cohort expected to complete training within the next nine months.