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The Ministry of Technical and Higher Education (MTHE) has stepped up efforts to strengthen efficiency, accountability and service delivery across Sierra Leone’s higher education sector, with university leaders signing performance contracts to support the implementation of key reforms.
The engagement, held on 20 August 2026 at the MTHE Conference Room, Sababu Building, New England Ville, brought together Vice-Chancellors and Principals from various universities and higher education institutions to discuss reforms to modernise the sector.
Key areas discussed included centralised admissions, reforms to the National Union of Sierra Leone Students (NUS) constitution, secure local production of academic certificates, digital payments through WanGov, and strengthening research and industry partnerships.
The Senior Permanent Secretary of MTHE, Sheick Kargbo, said the meeting formed part of the Ministry’s regular consultations with higher education institutions under the sector’s performance contract.
He urged stakeholders to use the engagement to identify challenges affecting the sector and develop practical solutions to improve the delivery of higher education services.
The Minister of Technical and Higher Education, Dr Haja Ramatulai Wurie, called for stronger collaboration between the Ministry and university leadership, while outlining initiatives intended to improve efficiency and accountability within the sector.
She highlighted plans for secure local production of academic certificates, digital verification through WanGov, the introduction of a centralised admissions system and the expansion of research programmes linked to industry needs.
Dr. Wurie also disclosed that Nigeria’s Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has offered to deploy technical officers to Sierra Leone for 12 months to provide technical support for the implementation of the centralised admissions system.
On certificate production, the Government Printer and Managing Director, Salifu L. Suma, said the Government Printing Department has the capacity to produce secure academic certificates locally.
He noted that the department, which he described as the first Printing Department in British West Africa, can incorporate security features including QR codes, UV ink, watermarks, micro-printing, security threads and embossing to protect certificates from forgery.
Meanwhile, Dugba Kenneh, Chief Technology Officer of Korlin Ltd WanGov, explained that the WanGov platform would enable students and sponsors to make and track payments digitally.
He said integrating the platform with university systems would further improve payment verification, transparency and accountability in the management of students’ fees.
Providing an update on the National Union of Sierra Leone Students, the Director of Higher Education, Emmanuel J. Momoh Esq., disclosed that NUS is set to review its constitution.
According to him, the review is intended to establish clear guidelines for leadership and the conduct of future elections within the student body.
The meeting concluded with the signing of performance contracts between Minister Wurie and the various heads of universities, signalling a commitment to the implementation of agreed deliverables.
The engagement reaffirmed the Ministry’s focus on digital transformation, secure academic certification, improved admissions systems, research development and stronger governance as part of ongoing efforts to improve Sierra Leone’s higher education sector.
