The President of the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ), Ahmed Sahid Nasralla, inspired and motivated journalism students at the University of Makeni (UNIMAK) during their annual dinner and awards night, held on Saturday, May 31, 2025, at the university hall.

Speaking as the Guest Speaker on the Theme ‘Sierra Leone at the Crossroads: Redefining National Identity Through Strategic Communication’, Nasralla started by expressing his sincere gratitude to the Association of Mass Communicators (AMCU) at the University of Makeni for their kind invitation; and more importantly, for their consistency in organizing such important event. According to Nasralla, it was an honor to return to the university once again not just as SLAJ President, but as a leader making his final bow after nine (9) incredible years of service to the journalism profession.

“When I stood here last year, I delivered the guest speaker address with the enthusiasm of a leader still on a mission. Today, I speak with the humility of one who has carried the baton of leadership, stumbled, learned, grown, and now ready to pass it on to the next leadership sprinter.

Tonight’s event is deeply symbolic for me, not just because it marks my final address to you as SLAJ President, but because you, the students of Mass Communication, represent the future custodians of not only our noble profession, but also our democracy, our truth, our national conversations, and ultimately, our collective identity.

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I came into office in 2019, after serving diligently and studiously for 3 years as secretary general, at a time when journalism in Sierra Leone was at a crossroads: much like our nation today. The challenges were immense: archaic laws that criminalised free speech and free media, poor conditions of service for journalists, limited and uncoordinated training opportunities, a growing distrust in the media, and a very hostile political climate.

But through strategic advocacy, partnerships, strategic communication, responsible and meaningful dialogue and unity among journalists, we made history:

We repealed the criminal libel law, freeing the press from decades of oppression.

We launched the first ever SLAJ Gender Equality Policy for the media to address gender imbalances in SLAJ, its affilliates and the wider media landscape in the country.

We developed a road map for media development through the National Action Plan and the SLAJ Media Manifesto: the Media We Want.

We introduced the National Fund for Public Interest Media, to promote independent journalism and provide alternative source of funding for media outlets embarking on such public journalism.

We established the Iverify platform to counter mis and disinformation.

We strengthened regional branches, increased training, and pushed for media professionalism and safety.

And we held the government to account without fear, but with fairness and respect.

We have done many things, with the support of our partners and media stakeholders, all of which I will not be able to outline here like a report card.

But the work is far from done. The work is far from over.

The landscape is evolving. Fake news, digital propaganda, cyberbullying, and AI-generated misinformation now challenge the very truth itself that we want to tell.

While we have celebrated the historic repeal of the criminal libel law, we are now confronted with even more threats from the Cyber Security and Crime Act and the Counter Terrorism Act.

This year’s theme couldn’t be more timely: “Redefining National Identity Through Strategic Communication.”

National identity is not built in Parliament or at the Judiciary, or at State House; it is built in stories, in narratives, in national symbols, in media headlines, in what we amplify, and what we ignore.

As young communicators, your role is not just to report, but to interpret, educate, uplift, and sometimes, provoke the very change you want to see happen.

You are not just students. You are nation-builders in training.

And the crossroads we stand at today demand a new breed of media professionals:

A new breed of media professionals who understand their history, but are not trapped by it.

Professionals who are not content with copying foreign models but are eager to create African-centered, Sierra Leonean narratives.

Who understand that communication is not just about broadcasting or publishing, or sharing, or posting or tweeting or Xing; it is about listening, connecting, healing, and building trust.

So, to you, the next generation, I say: do not wait for leadership, prepare for it by leading from where you are.

Challenge the status quo, but do so with knowledge and in a fair, honest and respectful manner.

Speak truth to power, but arm yourself with facts.

Be bold, but be ethical.

Be loud, but be clear and responsible.

Journalism is not a career. It is a calling. And in a country like ours, where so many voices are struggling to be heard, it is a sacred duty.

We have already laid a foundation, but it is you who must build the future. I urge you to:

use social media not to trend, but to transform.

use your pens not just to write, but to right the wrongs.

use your microphones not only to speak, but to give voice to the voiceless.

As I prepare to leave office, I do so with the hope that the profession is in good hands: that those coming after me, including you here, will raise the bar even higher.

I therefore leave you with this:

You don’t need power to be impactful. What you need is purpose.

You don’t need money to change lives. What you need is a good message.

And you don’t need a title to lead. What you need is courage and humility.

Go forward, not just as graduates, but as visionaries.

The future of Sierra Leone’s media is not in Freetown. It is right here: In Makeni. In Bo. In Kenema. In Kambia. In your ideas, your projects, your choices.

Together, we can build a media that is not only free, but also fearless, fair, responsible and ethical, and forward-looking.”