Africa-Press – Sierra-Leone. The National Science, Technology, and Innovation Council (NSTIC), in partnership with the Ministry of Technical and Higher Education (MTHE), held a workshop at Fourah Bay College to advance the implementation of Sierra Leone’s National Open Science Policy and enhance scholarly publishing.
Speaking at the event, Minister of Technical and Higher Education Dr Haja Ramatulai Wurie described the policy as a landmark step for the country. She emphasized that it provides a national framework for open access, responsible data sharing, research integrity, and digital infrastructure, aimed at increasing public access to scientific knowledge. Dr Wurie noted that Open Science is vital for national competitiveness and transparent governance, adding that successful implementation would require stronger institutions, modern digital systems, and improved researcher training.
MTHE’s Director of Science Education, Fatmata Kaiwa, highlighted the global rise of Open Science, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, and stressed that open collaboration is increasingly becoming the international standard.
NSTIC Chairman Prof. Jonas Redwood-Sawyer called on institutions to champion research and strengthen collaboration with the Sierra Leone Research and Education Network (SLREN). Dr Alex Blanshard outlined the policy’s four priorities: creating a supportive policy environment, developing open science infrastructure, building human capacity, and incentivizing open science practices.
SLREN CEO Dr Thomas Songu discussed the digital tools needed for Open Science, including repositories and e-learning platforms, while Prof. Kehinde S. Oluwadiya, Editor of the Sierra Leone Journal of Medicine, highlighted the need for affordable publishing platforms and better support for early-career researchers.
The workshop concluded with plans to establish a national task force on scholarly publishing to guide higher education and research institutions in adopting Open Science practices.
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