** Sierra Leone and Kenya have signed Statements of Intent with The Akuna Group, the organisation chaired by actor Idris Elba, becoming founding champions of the Commonwealth Creative Economy Partnership. The signings took place at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2026 in Antigua and Barbuda. Sierra Leone's Chief Minister, Dr David Moinina Sengeh, and Kenya's Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Dr A. Korir Sing'Oei, signed alongside Elba, in the presence of Sierra Leone's President Julius Maada Bio. [The Sierra Leone Telegraph](https://www.thesierraleonetelegraph.com/sierra-leone-and-kenya-sign-statements-of-intent-with-the-akuna-group-to-advance-commonwealth-creative-economy-partnership/)

What the partnership aims to do

The voluntary, country-led initiative seeks to connect talent with skills, investment, enterprise and markets across the Commonwealth and beyond. Kenya's foreign ministry said the agreement establishes a pathway for cooperation in creator financing, youth skills development, digital innovation, responsible artificial intelligence and access to international markets. [Kenya Ministry of Foreign Affairs](https://www.mfa.go.ke/kenya-and-akuna-group-partner-unlock-opportunities-creative-economy)

Training young filmmakers

One of the first concrete programmes is "From Script to Screen with AI", developed by Akuna and Google with Curious Refuge and supported by a US$1 million Google.org grant. It will train emerging filmmakers in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and South Africa. Kenya said the collaboration would complement its Talanta Hela programme, which identifies and nurtures young talent. President William Ruto has invited Elba to visit Kenya during the upcoming Internet Governance Forum, where the programme is expected to be launched.

A wider Commonwealth push

Elba told the One Commonwealth Night event that the aim was to bring people together, build connections and "help turn creativity into opportunity, so more people can make a living from their talent and own what they create". In separate discussions at CHOGM, Elba and Barbados Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley explored a Barbados-led initiative connecting African and Caribbean talent through cultural exchange, commissions and new audiences.