President Bio: Free Quality Education and Feed Sierra Leone – Pathways to Human Capital and a Secure Future
By: Edward Dictionary Caulker
President Julius Maada Bio addressed a crucial question posed by a concerned citizen during a Presidential town hall meeting on Tuesday, July 23, 2024, at the Bintumani International Auditorium. The citizen asked, “Why did you initially campaign on the promise of free quality education and then shift your focus to the ‘Feed Sierra Leone’ initiative in your second term?”
President Bio began by emphasizing the interconnected importance of both initiatives in fostering human capital development. “Human capital is the most important asset in the world,” he stated. “In the 21st century, if you know nothing, you won’t develop. This is why I made education a cornerstone of my first term. I have seen the transformative power of education, and I stressed its importance.”
Reflecting on his first term, President Bio recalled the launch of the Free Quality Education (FQE) program in August, despite the government’s financial challenges at the time. “When we launched the FQE, there was nothing in the coffers,” he recounted. “But we believed that where there is a will, there is a way. We provided buses, textbooks, increased school feeding programs, and supported girls’ education.”
President Bio emphasized that education is the only way for someone from a deprived background to make significant contributions to global development. “We started with education, and we will continue to prioritize it, maintaining 20% of our budget for education,” he asserted. “Our commitment to education is not just for urban areas. In the last BECE exams, Falaba District, a rural area, took the lead, proving that talent and intelligence are widespread.”
Transitioning to his current focus on the ‘Feed Sierra Leone’ initiative, President Bio explained its broader implications. “Feed Salone is a pregnant term, encompassing various aspects,” he said. “An empty bag cannot stand, and a hungry man is an angry man. You cannot educate your population if teachers and pupils are hungry.”
He stressed the connection between nutrition and education, noting that malnutrition impairs children’s ability to learn. “We want to ensure that food is affordable and tackle malnutrition. When kids are well-nourished, they can learn better. Our goal is to create jobs for young people and improve living conditions,” President Bio explained.
The president also highlighted the economic benefits of achieving food security, stimulating economic growth, and earning foreign currency. He referenced historical examples of agricultural revolutions, such as those in the United States and Europe, to underscore the potential for a similar transformation in Sierra Leone.
President Bio called for a shift in perception regarding farming, urging the nation to view it as a viable business. “Normally, when people think of farmers, they depict them as poor. We need to see farming as a business, just like setting up computer businesses or banking. Until the government and international partners make farming profitable, it will remain unattractive,” he said. “No country has embarked on an industrial revolution without an effective agricultural revolution.”
