Sierra Leone advances AI governance and digital sovereignty goals

Sierra Leonean leadership is actively pursuing frameworks for artificial intelligence governance and technological sovereignty. At a United Nations high-level roundtable in New York, President Julius Maada Bio urged African nations to avoid historical economic patterns by playing a more significant role in developing and governing AI, rather than merely consuming technologies created elsewhere. He advocated for a concept of ‘shared sovereignty’ to build regional capacity and protect national interests.

In a separate engagement in Riyadh, Attorney-General Alpha Sesay met with UNESCO officials to discuss strengthening Sierra Leone’s legal and preparedness frameworks for AI. While the country has established a cybersecurity framework and is progressing toward a Data Protection Bill, specific AI legislation has not yet been enacted. The Attorney-General expressed interest in UNESCO’s Readiness Assessment Methodology and noted that Sierra Leone has proposed regional cooperation on AI governance through ECOWAS.