First Lady Fatima Maada Bio addressed over 5,000 matriculating students at the Milton Margai Technical University (MMTU) on Saturday, February 3rd, 2024, urging them to dream big and contribute to the advancement of their country.

In her keynote address, Dr. Bio congratulated the students for starting their academic journey and emphasized the importance of attending classes and taking responsibility for their education. She highlighted the legacy of past graduates and challenged the new students to follow in their footsteps.

The First Lady also addressed the issue of gender disparity in education, noting that girls are often disadvantaged. She stressed that girls have the potential to be equally successful as men and highlighted government initiatives like the Free Quality Education program and the 30% quota for women in governance as efforts to address this issue.

Dr. Bio encouraged the students, especially the females, to believe in their dreams, work hard, and graduate with flying colors. She reminded them that they must start preparing now for the real world and urged them to respect and value themselves.

Speaking on the theme “Inspiring the next Generation of Female Leaders,” the First Lady, a vocal advocate for women’s rights, emphasized the importance of female leadership and innovation in communities across the country. She commended her “Hands Off Our Girls” campaign, which discourages violence against young girls, and urged the female students to take their studies seriously and give back to their communities.

The ceremony, held at the Peace Amphitheatre of the Goderich campus in Freetown, marked the beginning of the 2023/2024 academic year for MMTU.