By Mahamood Fofana
United Nations Development Programme Sierra Leone has launched Circular Innovation Clubs at the University of Makeni (UniMak) on April 17, 2026, marking a strategic move to empower young people to drive sustainable development.
The initiative forms part of UNDP’s Youth for Circularity 2030 programme, which seeks to equip students with the skills, tools, and platforms needed to advance circular economy solutions. The Circular Innovation Clubs are student-led hubs based in UNIPOD-supported fabrication labs, designed to encourage creativity, innovation, and hands-on problem-solving.
The clubs will focus on key areas such as mobile circularity solutions, sustainable product design, and green entrepreneurship, while also strengthening students’ technical and business development capacities.
At the launch, the university’s Registrar, Foday Augustine Bangura, called on students to fully utilize the platform to address pressing environmental challenges, particularly climate change.
“This initiative creates a space where students, policymakers, and entrepreneurs can converge to share knowledge and scale solutions into practical actions that improve livelihoods,” he said.
Sierra Leone continues to grapple with environmental and socio-economic challenges, especially in managing and recycling electronic waste. The Circular Innovation Clubs are expected to contribute meaningfully to addressing these issues through innovation, research, and youth-led solutions.
Also speaking at the event, Sorie Ibrahim Koroma, the Students’ Representative Council Minister of Education and Academic Affairs, emphasized the initiative’s student-centered approach.
“This initiative has been designed with you in mind for our collective good and future,” he noted.
Aligned with national development priorities and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the clubs will serve as hubs for youth-driven research, innovation, and entrepreneurship, positioning students at the forefront of building a more sustainable and inclusive economy.
