Sierra Leone took a meaningful step toward youth empowerment with the official launch of the Afrovate Tech Hub in Freetown on Tuesday, January 10, 2025. The initiative marks a new chapter for young people eager to build skills, create solutions, and shape the country’s future through technology and innovation.

The Afrovate Tech Hub is the first youth-owned and youth-managed center of its kind in the country. It focuses on green skills, digital innovation, entrepreneurship, and advocacy—areas seen as critical to addressing unemployment and limited opportunities among young people.

Speaking at the launch, Minister of Youth Affairs Ibrahim Sannoh commended the Afrovate team for turning vision into action. He noted that with more than 60 percent of Sierra Leone’s population under 35, empowering young people is essential to tackling challenges such as joblessness, drug abuse, poverty, and social instability.

“The establishment of Afrovate shows bold youth leadership,” the Minister said, adding that the Hub reflects a future where young Sierra Leoneans drive green, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth.

The Hub aims to provide practical digital and green skills, support youth-led innovation, and open doors to entrepreneurship. Afrovate founder Alfred Mbayoh explained that the idea behind the Hub is to close the gap between talent and opportunity, while ensuring environmental sustainability is not compromised.

During the event, Minister Sannoh toured the facility and held a discussion with Mbayoh inside the Hub’s newly launched studio, a space created to amplify youth voices and conversations on national issues. He expressed satisfaction with what he saw, noting that Afrovate aligns closely with the Ministry’s priorities in youth empowerment, technology and innovation, and climate action.

The discussion was moderated by Afrovate Communications Lead, Haja Precious Vandi, and also served as the first broadcast from the Hub’s studio.

In his closing remarks, Mbayoh invited young people and partners to fully utilize the space. He described the Hub as a place to learn, experiment, innovate, and grow with purpose, emphasizing the importance of turning challenges into opportunities.

The launch of the Afrovate Tech Hub stands as a strong signal of hope and progress, offering young Sierra Leoneans the tools, knowledge, and support needed to actively contribute to a sustainable, digital, and inclusive future.

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