Sierra Leone’s government signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Qhala, a digital transformation consultancy, to train civil servants in applying AI to government operations. The first phase targets 500 civil service personnel and aims to establish 10 to 15 AI-driven workflows across ministries.
Training covers cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and emerging technologies; it was led by the Ministry of Communication, Technology and Innovation in partnership with the Directorate of Science, Technology and Innovation and the National Cybersecurity Coordination Centre.
Who it affects: Civil servants at central government level; ministers and senior policymakers designing AI implementation strategy.
What is notably missing: No formal competency standard or assessment mechanism for civil servants completing training; no defined budget or legal obligation to extend training beyond the initial 500 participants; no public accountability requirement for AI workflows implemented; no civil servant protections if AI adoption displaces roles; no enforcement provision requiring all agencies to meet the same training standard.