Africa-Press – Sierra-Leone. The Minister of Technical and Higher Education, Dr. Haja Ramatulai Wurie, has received the official report from the Union of Academic Staff Association (UASA) following its national retreat held earlier this year. The presentation took place at the Ministry’s Conference Room in New England Ville.
Dr. Wurie thanked UASA for its contribution to the academic sector and initiatives to support educational reform in Sierra Leone. President Dr. Brima Gegbe led the UASA team, and the report was formally submitted by Secretary-General Abu Bakar Sheriff.
Academic staff at Sierra Leone’s public tertiary institutions are represented by the UASA, which had a three-day retreat in Kenema in May 2025. Academics, policymakers, and government leaders came together for the event, which had as its theme
“The Role of Tertiary Institutions in Strengthening Quality Education and the Big Five Game Changers in Accelerating Economic Growth and Building Resilience in Sierra Leone.”
Among the event’s primary outcomes were requests for thorough evaluations of Free Quality Education, improved collaboration with the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) and the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE), and changes to funding, infrastructure, and curriculum development through research and advocacy.
During the meeting, discussions also focused on the draft Conditions of Service (CoS) for 2025–2028. The Minister urged Academic Staff Associations (ASAs) to conclude their internal reviews and submit drafts to their Governing Councils, followed by TEC review, within three months.
UASA advised its members to speed up this process before the present executive steps down in September 2025. A follow-up meeting for review was set on August 29 at Freetown Polytechnic. The Ministry also launched the new WAN GOVT platform for student fee payments, with the goal of increasing transparency, providing receipts, and ensuring expenditures are in line with institutional goals.
Meanwhile, Desmond Songo-Davies, President of the University of Sierra Leone (USL) Academic Staff Association, expressed concern about unpaid wage adjustments for recently promoted employees. While other institutions, such as Njala and Eastern Technical University (ETU), received compensation, USL workers did not. The Minister demanded evidence and told USL that the Ministry would contact the Ministry of Finance to resolve the situation.
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