By: Saidu Jalloh
The Ministry of Technical and Higher Education (MTHE) has intensified efforts to strengthen Sierra Leone’s higher education sector by requesting additional academic and technical support from Nigeria, particularly in medical training, postgraduate education, and the development of emerging universities.
The request was made by the Minister of Technical and Higher Education, Dr. Haja Ramatulai Wurie, during a courtesy meeting with the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Technical Aid Corps (NTAC), Rt. Hon. Dr. Yusuf Buba Yakub, at the Ministry’s headquarters in Freetown.
Dr. Wurie highlighted government plans to expand medical education through the establishment of a second medical school at Njala University, noting that additional faculty support is essential to address staffing gaps and increase the training of healthcare professionals.
She commended Nigeria for its long-standing support to Sierra Leone’s tertiary education sector through the deployment of volunteer lecturers and specialists, particularly in institutions such as the College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences and the former Freetown Teachers College, now Freetown Polytechnic.
The Minister also requested academic support for the newly established Kono University of Science and Technology, especially in mining, science, and technology disciplines, which she described as critical to Sierra Leone’s national development agenda.
Dr. Wurie further praised Nigeria’s Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) for supporting Sierra Leone’s efforts to establish a centralized higher education admissions system. She also expressed interest in learning from Nigeria’s model for financing technical and tertiary education institutions.
She additionally revealed plans to establish a National School of Postgraduate Studies to coordinate doctoral programmes across universities in Sierra Leone, noting that the shortage of qualified PhD supervisors remains a major challenge to research and postgraduate development.
Responding, NTAC Director-General Dr. Yusuf Buba Yakub reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to supporting Sierra Leone through technical assistance and capacity-building initiatives. He described the relationship between the two countries as long-standing and mutually beneficial and expressed optimism about expanding cooperation ahead of the planned Nigeria-Sierra Leone Economic Summit later this year.
Dr. Yakub disclosed that NTAC has already nominated 12 additional experts in response to Sierra Leone’s request. The specialists cover key medical and scientific fields, including biochemistry, physiology, anatomy, microbiology, pharmacology, nursing, neurology, paediatrics, neonatal care, and midwifery, pending final approval processes.
He further noted that NTAC currently has 24 volunteers serving in Sierra Leone, while 19 are expected to complete their assignments in the coming months. He urged that future requests be channeled through the Nigerian Embassy to ensure faster deployment and reduce administrative delays.
Meanwhile, MTHE Director of Human Resources, Rebecca Saffa, informed the meeting that an NTAC volunteer serving at the Mattru School of Nursing is expected to complete his assignment this month. She explained that although the institution had benefited significantly from the volunteer’s expertise, ministry policy requires volunteers to return to their home institutions after two years of service.
She advised beneficiary institutions seeking continuity to submit fresh applications in a timely manner to avoid disruptions in academic support.
The meeting, chaired by Permanent Secretary Mohamed Sheick Kargbo, brought together senior ministry officials as both sides explored opportunities to deepen collaboration in higher education, human resource development, and technical capacity building.