Urgent Action Needed: Tertiary Institutions in Sierra Leone Struggle with Severe Sanitation Crisis

During an interview with Liberty TV, Hon. Abdul Karim Kamara, Chairman of the Parliamentary Water and Sanitation Oversight Committee, disclosed that several tertiary institutions, including Milton Margai College and Port Loko EBK, are facing severe sanitation challenges.

According to Hon. Kamara, unhygienic toilets and unconducive learning environments are widespread due to unpaid government subventions, which have accumulated over three years.

Honorable Kamara added that some schools, like Port Loko EBK, have retired cleaners whose replacements were never approved, leaving institutions without essential sanitation staff.

He

also raised concerns about ongoing projects under the Ministry of Technical and Higher Education, including the MMTU initiative. He said the administration managing the projects is not benefiting directly, and repeated reports highlighting construction flaws and poor-quality materials have been sent to the ministry with no response.

He warned that unless urgent action is taken, the poor sanitation conditions could continue to affect students’ health and learning, emphasizing the need for prompt government intervention.