Minister Haja Ramatulai Wurie Returns from Amujae Forum with Renewed Commitment to Leadership

The Minister of Technical and Higher Education, Dr Haja Ramatulai Wurie, has returned from the 2026 Amujae High-Level Leadership Forum in Dakar, Senegal, with a renewed understanding of leadership and a stronger commitment to creating opportunities for the next generation of African leaders.

Reflecting on her participation in the forum this week, Dr Wurie said the gathering provided an important platform for women from different generations, sectors, countries and Amujae cohorts to engage in honest conversations on leadership, governance, public service, political participation, mentorship, financing women’s leadership, allyship and the importance of building institutions that outlive individuals.

She described the opportunity to connect with women from other Amujae cohorts as particularly meaningful, saying it created a sense of continuity, shared purpose and sisterhood beyond individual cohorts.

The discussions were further enriched through strategy sessions, reflections on women’s representation in the media and exchanges with women who have served at the highest levels of leadership across the African continent.

According to Dr Wurie, one of the key lessons from the forum was that leadership is not simply about the position one occupies, but about how the influence that comes with that position is used.

“Positions are temporary; the impact we create can endure,” she said, stressing that true power is replicated by opening doors for others, mentoring future leaders and strengthening institutions that continue to serve long after individuals have left office.

The Minister also emphasised the importance of self-preservation in leadership, noting that serving others should not come at the cost of losing oneself.
She said protecting one’s values, integrity, wellbeing and voice is not selfish, but necessary to sustain the ability to lead and serve effectively.

Dr Wurie said she returned to Sierra Leone with renewed purpose and a commitment to using her position to expand opportunities, strengthen institutions and create pathways for the next generation of leaders.

Beyond the formal sessions, she expressed gratitude for the relationships forged and renewed in Dakar, describing sisterhood among women leaders as an important source of strength.

She noted that connecting with women who understand the responsibilities, opportunities and complexities of leadership provides reassurance that the leadership journey does not have to be walked alone.

Dr Wurie also expressed her sincere appreciation to Her Excellency Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Development for creating a platform that continues to inspire, challenge and strengthen African women leaders.

She concluded that although the forum had ended, its lessons would continue to guide her approach to leadership: leading with purpose, creating space for others, building institutions that will outlive individuals and unapologetically preserving the values and wellbeing necessary to continue serving.