Freetown Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr has chaired a high-level panel discussion on “Political Party Development: Building Partnerships with Think Tanks and Academia” at a national conference in Accra, Ghana, held as part of the All African Political Parties Summit.

The event, which brought together political party leaders from more than 30 African countries, aimed to strengthen unity, good governance, democracy, and development across the continent. It also featured the All People’s Congress (APC) Acting National Chairman, Ambassador Alhaji Osman Foday Yansaneh, who earlier contributed to a panel on “Political Parties and National Development Planning.”

In her opening remarks, Mayor Aki-Sawyerr underscored the importance of forging strong collaborations between political parties, think tanks, and academic institutions as a foundation for sustainable development. She stressed that knowledge-driven policy-making is key to addressing Africa’s most pressing socio-economic challenges.

Panel discussions shed light on persistent obstacles facing political parties, including limited democratic space for opposition, the underrepresentation of women and youth in governance, and the need for enhanced transparency and accountability.

Mayor Aki-Sawyerr called for deliberate action to overcome these challenges, noting that stronger democratic practices and inclusive governance are vital for progress in Sierra Leone and the wider continent.

As the summit continues over the next two days, she reaffirmed her commitment to promoting dialogue and building lasting partnerships among all stakeholders in national development.