On 26 August 2022, a cross-section of the Rice Agro Industrial Cluster project visited Njala University to engage the leadership on the package the project has for the University.

Receiving the Project team, the Acting Vice-Chancellor and Principal Professor Andrew Baimba expressed his profound appreciation to the Ministry of Agriculture and by extension the Government of Sierra Leone for the continuous support to the University. Furthermore, he thanked the African Development Bank(ADB) for considering enhancing the capacity of the University especially the agriculture engineering department under the RAIC project.

The Project Manager, John M.P Sinah thanked the University leadership for their desire and passion to work with the project. He disclosed that the project will be delivered following the University Rehabilitation of engineering workshop, retooling of the workshop, Supporting the University to train technicians and fabricators in thresher production, and repairs and maintenance including general maintenance of rice agro-processing equipment.

The project intends to support the University to become a center for the production of rice threshers and other rice processing equipment.

Both parties agreed to scale up this discussion with the signing of an MOU to bind the two parties.

The Rice Agro Industrial Cluster (RAIC) project is funded by AfDB and the Government of Sierra Leone with the project development objective of contributing to rice-self sufficiency and improving the livelihood of rural households. The project is being implemented in Bonthe and Pujehun districts targeting rice producers, processors, SMEs, private sector actors, etc.

The program was graced by the Incoming Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Agric Engineering Head of Department and team, and University Registrar and team.