ECOWAS Parliament Engages Sierra Leone Speaker on Youth Drug Abuse Crisis

On Monday, June 23, 2025, Honourable Members of the ECOWAS Parliament’s Committee on Health, led by Chairman Hon. Orlando Pereira Dias, paid a courtesy call on the Rt. Hon. Speaker Segepoh Solomon Thomas, Speaker of the Sixth Parliament of the Second Republic of Sierra Leone. The visit formed part of a regional initiative to strengthen collaboration in addressing the growing crisis of drug addiction among youth across the ECOWAS Region.

The delegation was introduced by Hon. Veronica Kadie Sesay, Deputy Chief Whip of Sierra Leone’s Parliament and Leader of the Sierra Leone Delegation to the ECOWAS Parliament. She reminded Speaker Thomas of a recent commitment made during a plenary session of Sierra Leone’s Parliament, which focused on launching a nationwide campaign to eradicate youth drug addiction. Hon. Sesay noted that the ECOWAS Parliament’s visit aimed to engage Member States on a coordinated response to this pressing issue.

She further disclosed that the ECOWAS Parliament would host a town hall meeting in Sierra Leone to foster dialogue with key stakeholders. This meeting would be followed by a guided tour of rehabilitation centres in Freetown, with the goal of conducting a needs assessment to inform future interventions.

Hon. Orlando Pereira Dias, Chairman of the ECOWAS Health Committee, congratulated President Julius Maada Bio on his recent election as Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government. He emphasized that health, especially the mental well-being of young people, is a top priority for the ECOWAS Region. He reaffirmed the Parliament’s strong stance on combating drug abuse and called on all stakeholders to join forces in this critical fight.

In his response, Rt. Hon. Speaker Segepoh Solomon Thomas warmly welcomed the ECOWAS delegation to Sierra Leone. He underscored that drug abuse is a serious and growing concern not only in Sierra Leone but across West Africa. Speaker Thomas emphasized the urgency of taking collective, decisive action to engage youth and reverse the trajectory of drug abuse in the region.

“If we continue along this path, it will be difficult to find young people in a sound and serious condition,” Speaker Thomas warned. “Let me assure you that the Parliament of Sierra Leone is fully committed to supporting your efforts in the fight against drug abuse.”