GOAL Sierra Leone Launches Groundbreaking WYTEC Blue Economy Project to Empower Women and Youth in Ocean Innovation

In an ambitious step toward advancing maritime innovation and sustainable ocean development, GOAL Sierra Leone, with support from the DOTCAN Institute (Development of Ocean Technical Capacity with African Nations), has officially launched the Women and Youth Technical Capacity (WYTEC) for the Blue Economy Project through a high-level stakeholder engagement session held in Freetown on Tues 29^th July.

This pioneering initiative aims to strengthen human and institutional capacity in Ocean Science and Technology, with a sharp focus on empowering women and youth as leaders in Sierra Leone’s growing Blue Economy sector.

The stakeholder engagement session brought together key representatives from government ministries and institutions, including the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development, the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, the Ministry of Tourism, the Ministry of Energy, Njala University, Ernest Bai Koroma University, Women in Maritime Sierra Leone, and several national and international NGOs. The event fostered robust multisectoral collaboration critical to the success of the initiative.

“We are deeply grateful for the commitment shown by our donors and stakeholders,” said James Riak, GOAL Sierra Leone Country Director. “Their support enables us to co-create programmes that will shape the future of our nation through youth empowerment and skills development. This project directly supports the government’s ‘Big Five Game Changers’, particularly Feed Salone* and Human Capital Development.”

Participants engaged in strategic group discussions that focused on the selection of institutions and individuals to lead or participate in the WYTEC project. These discussions also emphasized inclusion, certification processes, and curriculum development. Notably, stakeholders advocated for the integration of sustainable energy modules as a key component of the training, underscoring its relevance to a resilient blue economy.

Benjamin Bockarie, Blue Economy Programme Coordinator, GOAL Sierra Leone, stated during his presentation, “The WYTEC project will cultivate a new generation of ocean leaders equipped with the technical tools and vision to steer Sierra Leone toward a more resilient and prosperous maritime future.”

Stakeholder feedback praised the initiative as ‘timely and transformative,’ particularly for its emphasis on gender and youth inclusion in an industry poised for growth and innovation.

As GOAL Sierra Leone continues to refine the project design with insights gathered during the engagement, the WYTEC initiative stands as a significant milestone in Sierra Leone’s journey to unlock the potential of its maritime economy, sustainably and inclusively.

Editor’s note

*Feed Salone is the Sierra Leone Government’s flagship initiative built on six strategic pillars to develop the country’s vision for food systems transformation. This strategy is premised on the belief that the interventions under the strategic pillars will improve the functioning and efficiency of the value chain of our priority crops, culminating in higher levels of productivity, increased export earnings, resilience to climate change, reduction in hunger and food insecurity, and job creation. This section provides an overview of the pillars and the specific interventions that will be undertaken under each pillar.