By: Saidu Jalloh
In a renewed effort to transform Sierra Leone’s tertiary education landscape, the Ministry of Technical and Higher Education (MTHE) has engaged Vice-Chancellors and Principals (VC&Ps) of higher education institutions on wide-ranging strategic reforms aimed at improving quality, relevance, and institutional collaboration across the sector.
Discussions at the engagement focused on policy reforms, quality assurance mechanisms, digital transformation, and strategic partnerships designed to better align higher education delivery with national development priorities.
Speaking at the meeting, the Minister of Technical and Higher Education, Dr. Haja Ramatulai Wurie, underscored the need for stronger collaboration between the Ministry and tertiary institutions. She emphasized the importance of aligning academic curricula with labour-market demands, ensuring full compliance with the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) accreditation requirements, and advancing plans to digitize accreditation and regulatory processes to improve efficiency and transparency.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Minister of Technical and Higher Education, Sarjoh Aziz-Kamara, disclosed that the government is exploring the extension of the WanGov Digital Platform* to universities and other tertiary institutions. He explained that the initiative-subject to Cabinet approval-would streamline fee payments, enhance academic management systems, and strengthen institutional accountability.
The meeting also highlighted progress on the development of a harmonized National Qualifications Framework, which is expected to strengthen quality assurance, promote learner mobility, support recognition of prior learning, and improve the comparability of qualifications at both national and international levels. Opportunities for institutions to access international research collaborations and funding were also discussed.
In their contributions, Vice-Chancellors and Principals provided updates on rising student admissions, ongoing digital reforms, infrastructure development, and efforts to strengthen teaching quality, institutional governance, and community engagement.
The engagement concluded with a shared commitment by government and institutional leaders to deepen collaboration, accelerate reforms, and position Sierra Leone’s tertiary education sector as a catalyst for national growth and human capital development.
