By Mohamed Bangura
The Patriotic Advocacy Network (PAN) Sierra Leone has certified more than 150 young people in its 2025 Public Speaking Master Class, held on Saturday, September 13, at the multipurpose hall of Fourah Bay College (FBC). The event marked a major step in PAN’s mission to nurture effective leadership and clear communication among the country’s youth.
The annual program, which started last year with 100 participants, expanded significantly this year, reflecting the growing demand for leadership and communication training. According to PAN founding member and lawyer, Ansumana Keita, the initiative was born out of Sierra Leone’s urgent need for transformative leaders.
“We saw that one of our major challenges as a nation is effective leadership. To address that, we initiated this master class,” Keita explained. “This training is not just about becoming orators, but about communicating vision, building self-confidence, and breaking away from selfish leadership precedents.”
Keita also revealed that PAN recently established the PAN Studio, a platform that has already become central to the organization’s advocacy campaigns across schools nationwide. He noted that PAN remains the only institution in Sierra Leone currently offering such a structured public speaking master class.
Delivering the keynote address, Dr. Francis Sowa, Dean of the Faculty of Communication, Media and Information Studies at FBC, praised PAN’s efforts and predicted that its influence would extend beyond Sierra Leone. He urged graduates to see themselves as ambassadors of effective leadership.
“A successful leader is not measured by followers but by the leaders they produce,” Dr. Sowa said. “Consider yourselves ambassadors and make full use of this platform.”
Other speakers reinforced the link between communication, credibility, and leadership. Sheku Putka Kamara, a communication specialist, stressed the importance of clarity and truthfulness in public life, while Edward Sesay, a financial analyst, highlighted the dangers of financial mismanagement in leadership, noting that poor money practices often begin as early as school life.
For participants, the impact of the program was deeply personal. Sullayman Kargbo, one of the beneficiaries, shared how the master class transformed his self-confidence and leadership outlook. “Since joining the program, my communication has improved, and I have learned how to lead with purpose,” he said.
The graduation ceremony celebrated not only the accomplishments of the participants but also reaffirmed PAN Sierra Leone’s broader vision: building a generation of confident, visionary, and ethical leaders capable of driving national progress.
