Freetown, 10th November 2025- Sierra Leone’s First Lady has in a passionate reflection on youth development and national resilience called for urgent collective action to combat the country’s growing kush crisis, describing it as a “cankerworm eating away the fabric of our youthful population.”
Speaking at a high-level youth networking event held at Country Lodge in Freetown, the First Lady emphasized that the fight against drug abuse must be a national priority. “I wish I were a police officer,” she said candidly, “I would arrest all those importing kush into our country.” Her remarks, though informal, struck a chord with attendees and underscored the emotional weight of the issue.
The event, themed Harnessing Youth Potential for National Development through Strategic Partnerships, brought together youth leaders, policymakers, and civil society actors to explore collaborative approaches to youth empowerment. For the First Lady, the theme resonated deeply with her ongoing advocacy for women and girls across Sierra Leone and Africa.
“Our youth are not just leaders of tomorrow,” she said, quoting former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. “They are the game-changers of today.”
She praised the government’s Big Five Game Changers agenda, which recognizes youth as central to national progress, noting that young people now occupy the largest share of elected and appointed positions in Sierra Leone’s governance landscape.
But her message was also a warning: without urgent intervention, the promise of youth could be lost to addiction and despair. She called on all patriotic Sierra Leoneans, line ministries, and stakeholders to “join forces, fight against this menace, and safeguard our future.”
The First Lady’s remarks come amid rising concern over the spread of kush, a synthetic drug wreaking havoc among young people in urban and rural communities alike. Her call to action adds a powerful voice to the growing chorus demanding policy reform, community engagement, and cross-sector collaboration to address the crisis.
