{"id":55914,"date":"2026-03-18T14:48:55","date_gmt":"2026-03-18T14:48:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/sierra-leone\/all-news\/sierra-leonean-students-graduate-from-ecowas-program"},"modified":"2026-03-18T15:00:53","modified_gmt":"2026-03-18T15:00:53","slug":"sierra-leonean-students-graduate-from-ecowas-program","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/sierra-leone\/all-news\/sierra-leonean-students-graduate-from-ecowas-program","title":{"rendered":"Sierra Leonean Students Graduate From ECOWAS Program"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"color: #ff6600\"><strong>Africa-Press &#8211; Sierra-Leone. <\/strong><\/span>The Ministry of Technical and Higher Education (MTHE) has certified four graduates and four institutions following the successful completion of a six-month industry immersion programme under the ECOWAS Nnamdi Azikiwe Academic Mobility Scheme (ENAMS).<\/p>\n<p>The certified graduates are Fatmata Bintu Bangura, Eliakim Joe Brian Shaka, Janet Agnes Lisa, and Emmanuel Sesay. The participating institutions include Freetown Innovation Hub, eWomen SL, Community Support for Agriculture and Livelihoods Venture in Sierra Leone, and the Centre of Excellence for Automotive Training.<\/p>\n<p>The certification ceremony, held on March 17, 2026, aims to bridge the gap between academic training and industry demands.<\/p>\n<p>Minister of Technical and Higher Education, Dr. Haja Ramatulai Wurie, described the programme as a significant milestone in efforts to reform the country\u2019s skills development landscape.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is about equipping young people with the skills they need to drive socio-economic development,\u201d she said. \u201cTVET plays a critical role in building the middle-level workforce that our country needs.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She emphasized the Ministry\u2019s commitment to aligning training with labour market demands and expanding collaboration with the private sector. According to the Minister, the pilot programme will serve as a foundation for scaling up similar initiatives to benefit more young people.<\/p>\n<p>Dr. Wurie also highlighted ongoing reforms, including the development of a unified national qualifications framework and efforts to integrate both formal and informal skills training systems.<\/p>\n<p>MTHE\u2019s Permanent Secretary, Mohamed Sheick Kargbo, who chaired the programme, commended the graduates and partner institutions for their commitment. He described the certification as a clear indication of what can be achieved when training is closely aligned with industry needs.<\/p>\n<p>Chief Technical and Higher Education Officer, Dr. Josephus Brimah, said the programme reflects a shift in approach to technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in Sierra Leone.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are no longer training for industry, but with industry,\u201d he said, emphasizing the importance of strengthening public-private partnerships.<\/p>\n<p>Acting Deputy Chief Technical and Higher Education Officer, Sia Fasuluku, noted that the programme was designed in response to concerns across ECOWAS member states about graduates lacking practical, job-ready skills. She said Sierra Leone identified key sectors for the pilot, including ICT, agriculture, waste management, and manufacturing and engineering.<\/p>\n<p>Fasuluku highlighted early successes, noting that some participants have already secured employment, while others are applying their skills in areas such as sustainable agriculture and community engagement.<\/p>\n<p>Deputy Commissioner of the National Youth Commission, Emerson Kamara, said perceptions around TVET are gradually changing, noting that demand-driven skills training is key to improving youth employability.<\/p>\n<p>Director General of the Sierra Leone Local Content Agency, Fodeba Daboh, described the programme as aligned with national efforts to build a skilled local workforce and reduce reliance on foreign expertise.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe want to ensure that Sierra Leoneans are equipped with the skills required to take up opportunities within our own economy,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>ECOWAS Technical Adviser at the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development, Dr. Robert Moikowa, commended the government for effectively implementing a regional initiative, describing it as evidence that Sierra Leone is taking concrete steps to strengthen human capital development.<\/p>\n<p>Education stakeholders called for greater inclusion and sustained reforms. Dr. Victor Massaquoi, Principal of the Civil Service Training College, said the programme goes beyond certification to building competencies, while emphasizing the value of micro-credentials.<\/p>\n<p>Dr. Olive Musa, Director of Non-Formal Education at the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education, stressed the need to extend certification to non-formal learners and create pathways into technical training.<\/p>\n<p>Dr. Samba Moriba, Principal of Freetown Polytechnic, highlighted the programme\u2019s role in addressing gaps in practical and soft skills, while Osman Kabba, Director of the National Council for Technical and Vocational Education, reaffirmed efforts to improve accreditation and certification systems.<\/p>\n<p>Delivering the vote of thanks on behalf of the participants, Fatmata Bintu Bangura expressed appreciation to the Ministry, ECOWAS, and partner institutions for the opportunity. She said the programme had provided valuable practical skills and improved their readiness for the job market.<\/p>\n<p><strong>For More News And Analysis About <span style=\"color: #ff6600\">Sierra-Leone<\/span> Follow <span style=\"color: #ff6600\">Africa-Press<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Africa-Press &#8211; Sierra-Leone. The Ministry of Technical and Higher Education (MTHE) has certified four graduates and four institutions following the successful completion of a six-month industry immersion programme under the ECOWAS Nnamdi Azikiwe Academic Mobility Scheme (ENAMS). The certified graduates are Fatmata Bintu Bangura, Eliakim Joe Brian Shaka, Janet Agnes Lisa, and Emmanuel Sesay. The [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":55913,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,4],"tags":[292],"class_list":["post-55914","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-culture-and-art","tag-sierra-leone"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.1 (Yoast SEO v27.0) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Sierra Leonean Students Graduate From ECOWAS Program - Sierra Leone<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Ministry of Technical and Higher Education (MTHE) has certified four graduates and four institutions following the s ...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/sierra-leone\/all-news\/sierra-leonean-students-graduate-from-ecowas-program\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Sierra Leonean Students Graduate From ECOWAS Program\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Ministry of Technical and Higher Education (MTHE) has certified four graduates and four institutions following the s ...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/sierra-leone\/all-news\/sierra-leonean-students-graduate-from-ecowas-program\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Sierra Leone\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/AfricaPressTunisiaa\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-03-18T14:48:55+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-03-18T15:00:53+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/sierra-leone\/sites\/16\/2026\/03\/sm_1773833427.810542.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"630\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/sierra-leone\/all-news\/sierra-leonean-students-graduate-from-ecowas-program#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/sierra-leone\/all-news\/sierra-leonean-students-graduate-from-ecowas-program\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"cfeditoren\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/sierra-leone\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb\"},\"headline\":\"Sierra Leonean Students Graduate From ECOWAS Program\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-03-18T14:48:55+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-03-18T15:00:53+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/sierra-leone\/all-news\/sierra-leonean-students-graduate-from-ecowas-program\"},\"wordCount\":672,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/sierra-leone\/all-news\/sierra-leonean-students-graduate-from-ecowas-program#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/sierra-leone\/sites\/16\/2026\/03\/sm_1773833427.810542.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Sierra-Leone\"],\"articleSection\":[\"all news\",\"culture and art\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/sierra-leone\/all-news\/sierra-leonean-students-graduate-from-ecowas-program#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/sierra-leone\/all-news\/sierra-leonean-students-graduate-from-ecowas-program\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/sierra-leone\/all-news\/sierra-leonean-students-graduate-from-ecowas-program\",\"name\":\"Sierra Leonean Students Graduate From ECOWAS Program - 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