London; Wednesday 20th May, 2026
The Deputy High Commissioner of Sierra Leone to the United Kingdom, Mrs. Yvonne King Odigboh, today joined Sierra Leone’s Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education, Mr. Conrad O. Sackey, at a high-level breakfast briefing on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education held at the Google London Office.
Convened under the Global Alliance for AI in Education (GAILA) and the Quality Assurance Facility for AI in Education, the event brought together global education leaders, development partners, researchers, and technology innovators to examine how governments can responsibly integrate AI into education systems to improve learning outcomes.
Also attending the session were Mr. Lans Kelfala, Chairman of the Sierra Leone Teaching Service Commission (TSC), and Madam Josephine Saidu, Chief Executive Officer of www.teachforsierraleone.org , an educational partner organisation supporting teacher recruitment, teacher training, and collaboration with government efforts to integrate AI into education delivery in Sierra Leone.
A major highlight of the briefing was the introduction of a groundbreaking collaborative study involving the Government of Sierra Leone, Google DeepMind, and Fab AI, focused on the use of AI to improve mathematics learning outcomes in Sierra Leonean schools. The initiative forms part of a broader global effort to ensure that emerging AI technologies are evidence-based, contextually relevant, and accessible to learners in developing countries.
Delivering remarks on behalf of the Government of Sierra Leone, Minister Conrad O. Sackey reaffirmed His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio’s passionate commitment to education as the foundation of national development. Reflecting on Sierra Leone’s journey through civil war, Ebola, and recovery, the Minister praised the resilience of the people.
He maintained that Sierra Leone continues to place unwavering faith in the transformative power of education and the potential of its children.
Minister Sackey also drew attention to the growing continental learning crisis, noting that many children across Sub-Saharan Africa are unable to read and understand a simple text by the age of ten.
“Not a novel. Not a newspaper. A simple text,” the Minister emphasized, warning that millions remain trapped in what experts describe as “learning poverty.”
Against this backdrop, the Minister highlighted Sierra Leone’s progress under the Free Quality School Education Programme, which has increased school enrolment from under 2 million to over 3.1 million pupils since 2018, while advancing gender equality and inclusive learning opportunities.
However, he stressed that access alone is not enough.
“We must now ensure that children are not only in school, but learning effectively,” he stated, underscoring the urgent need to strengthen foundational literacy and numeracy through innovation, research, and strategic partnerships.
Speaking on Sierra Leone’s collaboration with Google DeepMind and Fab AI, Minister Sackey praised the partners’ commitment to developing locally grounded AI solutions capable of addressing real classroom challenges. He emphasized that Sierra Leone welcomes responsible technological innovation backed by rigorous evidence and accountability.
“The question is not whether AI will transform education — it will,” the Minister stated. “The real question is who benefits first, and whether children in the Global South are included from the very beginning.”
The Minister further stressed the importance of ensuring that AI tools introduced into classrooms are safe, effective, culturally relevant, and responsive to African educational realities.
The distinguished panel of co-presenters included Dr. Benjamin Piper of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Dr. Irina Jurenka, Director of Research at Google DeepMind, and Wongani Grace Nkhoma-Sankofa from UNICEF.
Mrs. Yvonne King Odigboh’s participation further underscored the Sierra Leone High Commission’s commitment to supporting international partnerships that advance education, innovation, and sustainable development for Sierra Leone’s future generations.
Held at Google’s London headquarters, the briefing provided an important platform for dialogue on the transformative role of Artificial Intelligence in shaping the future of education across Africa and beyond.
Abdulai Braima
Information Attaché