By Fatima Kpaka
Freetown – July 15, 2026: Sierra Leone’s Minister of Technical and Higher Education, Haja Ramatulai Wurie, has engaged with an African Development Bank (AfDB) mission team in Freetown to discuss budget support operations and the country’s reform priorities, including sustainable mining, transport sector reforms, youth employment, skills development, and institutional capacity building.
During the high-level dialogue, the Ministry showcased transformative reforms reshaping Sierra Leone’s technical and higher education ecosystem. These include the Harmonised National Qualifications Framework, Recognition of Prior Learning Policy, National Micro-Credentials Framework, Credit Accumulation and Transfer System, and the revised NCTVE Act recently approved by Parliament. These reforms aim to strengthen flexible learning pathways, improve quality assurance, and align education and training with labour market needs.
Haja Ramatulai Wurie also outlined the Ministry’s vision to transform Government Technical Institutes (GTIs) into Community Technical Colleges (CTCs), ensuring technical education responds to district-level economic opportunities, supports local industries, entrepreneurship, and job creation.
The discussions further highlighted gains from Sierra Leone’s skills development initiatives, including the AfDB-supported WOKDONCAM project, which expands opportunities in the informal economy. Efforts to advance industry-led curriculum development and pilot a Sector Skills Council for Agriculture were also noted as key steps toward enhancing private sector leadership in skills development.
Officials emphasized that these reforms and investments provide a strong foundation for continued partnership with AfDB and other stakeholders, ensuring Sierra Leone’s youth acquire the skills and competencies needed to drive productivity, innovation, and sustainable socioeconomic growth.