Post a comment The Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE) is exploring a potential partnership with Chinese conglomerate Legden Holdings Corporation to integrate artificial intelligence (AI), coding, and robotics into classrooms across Sierra Leone.
The proposed collaboration was the focus of high-level discussions during a courtesy visit hosted by the Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education.
The meeting, facilitated by Sierra Leone’s Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China, His Excellency Abu Bakarr Karim, brought together ministry officials and a visiting delegation led by Mr. Ji Chaofeng, Assistant Vice President and Managing Director of the Asset Management Department at Legden Holdings.
During the discussions, Minister Conrad Sackey highlighted the government’s efforts to position Sierra Leonean youth to compete in the global digital economy. He pointed to the country’s growing investment in technology education, noting that robotics competitions have expanded from involving just two private schools three years ago to a national competition featuring 20 schools this year.
“Sierra Leone is not waiting to be found by the future. We are building toward it,” Minister Sackey said, adding that the government is pursuing technology-driven investments with “purpose and urgency.”
The proposed partnership with Legden Holdings, the parent company of global technology firm Lenovo, is expected to focus on key areas of educational development, including digital learning, coding, artificial intelligence, and robotics.
The delegation also discussed opportunities to strengthen linguistic and cultural cooperation through the introduction of Mandarin language instruction in Sierra Leonean schools and universities.
Mr. Ji Chaofeng expressed Legden Holdings’ interest in working with the ministry and commended Sierra Leone’s vision for digital transformation and innovation in education.
Minister Sackey concluded the meeting by thanking Ambassador Karim for facilitating the engagement and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to investing in education.
“Education is the most transformative investment a nation can make,” he stated.
