By: Nana
Appiah Acquaye
Sierra Leone will take its
emerging open-source software agenda to the global stage at the 81st session of
the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 81), as the country seeks to
highlight how open-source technology can support affordable, secure and locally
owned digital systems.
The Ministry of
Communication, Technology and Innovation will convene a high-level sideline
event in partnership with UNICEF on Thursday, September 24, 2026, in New York,
moving discussions that began at the national level to an international
audience.
The engagement follows a
workshop held last November, when the Ministry brought together more than 50
ICT leads and representatives from government ministries to validate Sierra
Leone’s first-ever Open-Source Software Policy.
The policy is designed to
help make the country’s digital systems more affordable and secure while
ensuring that Sierra Leone has greater ownership of the technologies
underpinning its digital infrastructure.
The Ministry said
open-source technology can enable government to own and control its digital
systems without becoming dependent on costly vendor arrangements or
experiencing vendor lock-in.
It also sees open source as
an opportunity to build sustainable digital services, including systems for
digital identification, payments and records, while creating space for local
developers and startups to develop solutions addressing Sierra Leonean challenges.
The UNGA 81 event will
provide an opportunity for Sierra Leone to discuss the broader role open-source
technology can play in national digital transformation and how locally driven
technology solutions can contribute to long-term digital sustainability.
The event will be held at
Solana Skyline, 6th Floor, 141 E. Houston St., New York, and will also be
livestreamed for citizens in Sierra Leone and members of the diaspora.
The Ministry is inviting
stakeholders to join the conversation on the potential of open source to
strengthen national digital ownership, support local innovation and shape a
more sustainable digital future for Sierra Leone.
