The Ministry of Technical and Higher Education (MTHE) has reaffirmed its commitment to expanding access to quality higher education and strengthening human resource capacity through strategic international partnerships, following a courtesy visit by the Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Technical Aid Corps (NTAC), Rt. Hon. Dr. Yusuf Buba Yakub.
The meeting, held in the Minister’s Conference Room at the Sababu Building in New England Ville, brought together senior Ministry officials, including the Chief Technical and Higher Education Officer, Dr. Josephus Brimah; Director of Human Resources, Rebecca Saffa; and was chaired by the Permanent Secretary, Mohamed Sheick Kargbo.
Welcoming the delegation, the Minister of Technical and Higher Education, Dr. Haja Ramatulai Wurie, described Nigeria as a longstanding and reliable partner that has supported Sierra Leone’s universities through the deployment of volunteer lecturers and specialists. She commended the contributions of Nigerian academics to institutions such as the College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences and acknowledged previous support to the then Freetown Teachers College, now Freetown Polytechnic.
Highlighting key government priorities, Dr. Wurie underscored ongoing efforts to expand medical education through the establishment of a second medical school at Njala University. She noted that additional faculty support would be crucial in addressing staffing gaps and increasing the country’s production of healthcare professionals in line with World Health Organization recommendations.
The Minister also appealed for support for the newly established Kono University of Science and Technology, particularly in the areas of mining, science, and technology, as part of broader efforts to align higher education with national development priorities.
Dr. Wurie further commended the support being provided by Nigeria’s Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) in assisting Sierra Leone to develop a centralized higher education admissions system. She expressed interest in drawing lessons from Nigeria’s experience in establishing a sustainable financing mechanism for technical and higher education institutions.
Looking ahead, the Minister revealed plans to establish a National School of Postgraduate Studies to coordinate doctoral training across public and private universities. She emphasized that the shortage of qualified PhD supervisors remains a major challenge and called for additional support to strengthen postgraduate education and research capacity.
Responding to the Minister’s requests, Dr. Yakub reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to supporting Sierra Leone’s development agenda through technical assistance and capacity building. He described the relationship between the two countries as one founded on decades of friendship and cooperation and expressed optimism about further collaboration, including the planned Nigeria-Sierra Leone Economic Summit expected later in 2026.
He disclosed that NTAC has already nominated twelve additional experts in response to Sierra Leone’s request, covering disciplines including biochemistry, physiology, anatomy, microbiology, pharmacology, nursing, neurology, pediatrics, neonatal care, and midwifery, pending the completion of the necessary approval processes.
Dr. Yakub also noted that NTAC currently has 24 volunteers serving in Sierra Leone, although 19 are expected to complete their assignments in the coming months. He encouraged future requests to be channelled through the Nigerian Embassy to facilitate timely deployment and reduce administrative delays
Meanwhile, the Ministry’s Director of Human Resources, Rebecca Saffa, informed participants that an NTAC volunteer serving at the Mattru School of Nursing is expected to conclude his assignment this month. She noted that while the institution has benefited from the volunteer’s expertise, Ministry policy requires volunteers to return to their parent institutions after two years and advised beneficiary institutions to submit fresh applications where replacement personnel are needed.
