The Vice President of Sierra Leone, Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh has kickstarted the transformation of Bunumbu Teachers College to Eastern Technical University in Kailahun District, Eastern Sierra Leone.

“It is a great pleasure to be part of this historic event, the establishment of ETU-SL,” the Vice President said. He added that the project is part of the President’s effort to invest in human capital development.

The project is reported to be part of the Education Sector Support Project (ESSP) believed to be worth 14 million US Dollars.

Since assuming office in 2018, the Maada Bio administration has allocated significant funds towards education. Their focus on education has yielded positive results, as highlighted by the Vice President, with “over two million children returning to school” due to the implementation of Free and Quality Education.

Bunumbu Teachers College is one of the few tertiary institutions in the Eastern Region of Sierra Leone. Unfortunately, much of the college was destroyed during the country’s 10-year civil war. As a result, the institution had to relocate to the regional capital of Kenema.

The Registrar of the College, John Juana, commended the government for its determination to renovate and enhance the status of the institution.

During the event, the Minister of Higher and Technical Education, Prof. Alpha Wurie, called upon the local community to support the Bio Administration and stressed the importance of educating the next generation of Sierra Leoneans.

Despite being known as the “Athens of West Africa” due to its educational advancements in the 19th century, Sierra Leone continues to face a high illiteracy rate, currently surpassing 50 percent.