Africa-Press – Sierra-Leone. The Ministry of Technical and Higher Education (MTHE) on Monday hosted a high-level delegation from the African Union Development Agency and New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA-NEPAD) at its Conference Hall in Freetown to explore strategic collaboration on skills development, gender inclusion, and education reform.
The visit underscores Sierra Leone’s commitment to aligning its human capital development agenda with the African Union’s Agenda 2063, which envisions an integrated, prosperous, and peaceful Africa driven by its citizens.
Minister of Technical and Higher Education, Dr. Haja Ramatulai Wurie, described the ministry as the “finishing house” for youth development.
She highlighted the Government of Sierra Leone’s flagship programmes, including the Free Quality School Education (FQSE) initiative and the “Big Five Game Changers” human capital development, agriculture, youth employment, infrastructure, digital transformation, and public sector reform.
“Our allocation of 22 per cent of the national budget to the education sector signals the government’s unwavering commitment to transforming education and preparing our youth for the demands of a rapidly evolving job market,” Dr. Wurie stated.
Representing AUDA-NEPAD, Mr. Norman Khoza pledged continued support for Sierra Leone’s development priorities, noting the strong alignment between the country’s “Big Five” and the AU’s Agenda 2063. He stressed the importance of co-creating programmes with local institutions, addressing systemic barriers, and empowering youth through targeted interventions such as the Skills Initiative for Africa (SIFA).
Susan Dada, a member of the AUDA-NEPAD delegation, spoke on the agency’s Social Development Cluster, which advocates for vulnerable populations, youth and women’s economic empowerment, and institutional accountability under the Africa Resilient Institutions Platform. She also underscored the agency’s commitment to preserving and promoting African cultural heritage as a vehicle for social transformation.
The meeting marks a significant step toward enhanced cooperation between Sierra Leone and AUDA-NEPAD in building a future-ready workforce equipped with the skills, knowledge, and resilience necessary to drive national and continental development.
The engagement concluded with technical presentations from Mr. Khoza, Nqobile Zwane, Nonkululeko Mtimunye, and Susan Dada, highlighting AUDA-NEPAD’s flagship programmes, including the African Critical Skills Bank, World Skills Africa, Industrial Skills Week Africa, the Continental TVET Strategy, and the Sustainable Nutrition and Value Chain (SNVC) initiative.
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