Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Tuesday 13 February 2024 – Dr. David Moinina Sengeh, Chief Minister of Sierra Leone, showcased his country’s commitment to leveraging technology and innovation for public service delivery and citizen welfare during the ‘Government Services Forum’ at the World Government Summit in Dubai.
Dr. Sengeh highlighted several digital initiatives aimed at enhancing education, connectivity, and government services in Sierra Leone. Among these were the development of a USSD dictionary to complement traditional books, the deployment of an SMS result checker utilized by nearly five million people nationwide, and the expansion of mobile connectivity to cover approximately 90% of the population. Additionally, Sierra Leone introduced a mobile artificial intelligence Chat GPT to assist teachers in delivering quality educational content to students.
Emphasizing the transformative potential of technology, Dr. Sengeh underscored its role as a catalyst for improving service delivery and fostering development, particularly during challenging times such as the COVID-19 pandemic. He noted how hybrid technologies were utilized to mitigate learning disruptions during school closures, ensuring that students remained engaged and did not fall behind academically.
President Bio’s digital transformation agenda also prioritized leveraging technology for revenue mobilization, combating corruption, streamlining bureaucratic processes, and enhancing access to public services for all citizens. For instance, digitalization initiatives in the Ministry of Agriculture provided farmers with vital information, including market data, weather forecasts, and agricultural best practices, directly to their mobile phones. This approach aimed to empower farmers, boost productivity, and promote sustainable agricultural practices to address food security challenges in Sierra Leone.
The Government Services Forum at the World Government Summit brought together global leaders, including H.E. Ana Brnabić, Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia, and H.E. Mohamed Bin Taliah, Chief of the UAE Government Services, to exchange insights and strategies for leveraging technology to enhance governance and public service delivery.
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