By Isqil Najim
The Sub-Saharan Africa Skills and Apprenticeship Stakeholders Network, SASASNET, has renewed the mandate of Hon. Ousman Sillah as Secretary General for another three years, even as the continental body used its inaugural Executive Committee Meeting under a newly elected Chairperson to lay out fresh priorities for the years ahead.
The meeting held on Tuesday, 7 July, 2026.
A Statement issued by the Continental Network stated that the renewed mandate was granted in recognition of Hon. Sillah’s outstanding role as the Founding Secretary General, who helped “build the organisation from infancy and achieving significant results within a short span.”
Hon. Sillah had earlier served as Coordinator of the Network for five months before its formal registration and launch.
He was first appointed Secretary General of SASASNET in July 2023, at the Network’s first Executive Committee meeting held in Abuja, Nigeria, where the Continental Secretariat is domiciled.
The idea to establish the Network was first mooted in February 2023 in Cotonou, Benin Republic, when government representatives and national stakeholders from across Africa converged for a regional workshop focused on strengthening apprenticeship systems within the informal economy.
The workshop, organised by the Government of Benin in collaboration with partners including the International Labour Organization and the World Bank, was aimed at promoting quality, innovation and transitions to formality in apprenticeship systems across the continent.
Hon. Sillah, who was nominated by the Gambia’s Minister of Higher Education to join the country’s delegation to that workshop, was among those entrusted by participants to work with Prof. Idris Muhammad Bugaje, who became the first Continental Chairperson, to coordinate the process of setting up a continent wide network of stakeholders.
That network was envisioned as a platform to help African countries and governments promote, coordinate and harmonise initiatives aimed at advancing skills and apprenticeship development across the continent. Prof. Bugaje currently serves as Executive Secretary of Nigeria’s National Board for Technical Education.
At the meeting held earlier this month, the newly elected Continental Chairperson, Mr. Shadrack M. Mwadime, CBS, Principal Secretary at the State Department for Labour and Skills Development in Kenya, joined other members of the Executive Committee in paying tribute to Prof. Bugaje for what they described as his visionary leadership and the strong foundation he laid for the organisation during his tenure.
In his remarks, Mr. Mwadime pledged to work closely with all stakeholders to sustain and build on that foundation, with a view to delivering lasting impact on skills and apprenticeship development across Africa and beyond.
Beyond the renewal of Hon. Sillah’s mandate, the meeting also reviewed the organisation’s ongoing programmes, its financial standing, membership engagement and other operational matters.
A number of resolutions were adopted, among them the rollout of strategic priorities contained in the SASASNET Four Year Strategic Plan covering 2024 to 2028, along with the Executive Committee’s work plan for the year ahead.
According to the Communique, the meeting resolved to “strengthen governance, establish country chapters, accelerate the implementation of the landmark Abuja I and II Action Plans and Mombasa Declaration, and foster stronger partnerships to advance quality skills development and decent work across Africa.”
Members also agreed on the need to deepen stakeholder engagement, strengthen partnerships and improve how the organisation communicates its work.
To carry these resolutions forward, subcommittees were set up covering Research, Resource Mobilisation, Programme Implementation, the Youth Chapter, and Women and Persons with Disabilities, each with designated chairpersons and members.
The Executive Committee used the occasion to reaffirm its commitment to advancing skills development, quality apprenticeships and youth employment across the continent, stressing that the future of Africa’s workforce hinges on collective action by all stakeholders.
SASASNET also restated its resolve to continue working with Member Country governments, institutions and partners, including the African Union Commission, the African Development Bank, the International Labour Organization, UNESCO, UNIDO, the Mastercard Foundation and other national, regional and global development partners, in its drive to deliver lasting impact for Africa’s future.