By Alhaji Dauda Musa Bangura
The Sierra Leone Education in Entrepreneurial Pedagogy and Skills (SLEEK) Project has on Tuesday 9 June 2026 officially commenced the forth edition of the Training of Trainers (ToT4) and Management meeting at the University of Makeni in the northern region of Sierra Leone.
Giving the official the welcoming address at the opening ceremony Vice Chancellor and Principal of the University of Makeni (UNIMAK), Rev. Prof. Josepha Alimamy Turay appreciated the European Delegation from the University of Alicante in Spain, which coordinates the project, and FH Joanneum University of Applied Sciences in Austria, for chosen UNIMAK for the forth Training of trainer and management meeting in Sierra Leone.
Rev. Prof. Josepha Alimamy Turay, thank the Europen Union and partners for the wonderful institution and calls for more support for the promotion of education in Sierra Leone.
The UNIMAK Vice Chancellor also welcome their sister’s universities participants to the university of Maknei and agued all to support the growth of entrepreneurship development in Sierra Leone as the country need rapid problem-solving mechanism in address real live situation in the country.
Prof. Ezekiel Kalvin Duramany-Lakkoh, The Deputy Vice Chancellor of the Institute of Public Administration and Managmnet IPAM-University of Sierra Leone, in his statement thanked the visiting team from these renounced European University for their supports and scacrifies in the development of Entreprenuship Education in Sierra Leone through Sierra Leone Education in Entrepreneurial Pedagogy and Skills (SLEEK) Project.
Deputy Vice Chancellor of IPAM, this reechoed the important of Entrepreneurship Education at this particular time in shaping our entrepreneurship ecosystem in matching up with other countries across the globe by moving from theories to more practical.
Prof. Ezekiel Kalvin Duramany-Lakkoh further disclosed that IPAM continue to lead in the driver for proactive Entrepreneurship education in Sierra Leone that is they the established IPAM—Centre of Excellence in Entrepreneurship and Innovation (CEEI) to support that initiatives.
The Young DVC from IPAM further disclosed to the SLEEK visiting team that IPAM is preparing to established entrepreneurship academies in Freetown and Bo Campus.
In introducing SLEEK and outlining the week’s agenda, Madam Cristina Beans, Senior Project Manager and SLEEK Coordinator from the University of Alicante, highlighted the importance of the SLEEK project in transforming entrepreneurship education in Sierra Leone.
She noted that the initiative is designed to “train the trainers,” enabling participants to pass on their knowledge and expand the project’s reach and long-term impact.
“The SLEEK project is training the trainers so they can in turn train others, increasing the reach and long-term impact of the project,” she said.
She further explained that the Training of Trainers programme would help participants design strong and relevant entrepreneurship courses while equipping academics with the skills to effectively train others.
“The SLEEK Training of Trainers will enable us to design solid and relevant entrepreneurship courses, while also equipping us to train other academics effectively,” she said.
Madam Beans added that the initiative would strengthen Sierra Leone’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and create wider opportunities for local entrepreneurs, describing it as a shared commitment between partner institutions.
“This will strengthen Sierra Leone’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and expand opportunities for local entrepreneurs. It is also a commitment to our institutions and we hope to live up to your expectations,” she concluded.
Training of Trainers (ToT4) and Management meeting which started on Tuesday and will continues throughout the week, bringing together, Deans of Faculties IPAM, MMTU, UMITECH, UNIMAK, UMU, Innovation SL Limited, educators, innovators, and institutional leaders shaping and transforming the next generation of entrepreneurial scholars and enhancers in Sierra Leone.
About SLEEK
SLEEK is an Erasmus+ capacity building in higher education project co-funded by the European Union. It aims to strengthen Sierra Leone’s capacity to develop a solid entrepreneurial ecosystem capable of generating new jobs, by improving entrepreneurship teaching and learning in the country’s higher education institutions. For more information about the project, please visit its official website: www.sleeksierraleone.eu
