by*Chernor Mohamadu Jalloh
Sierra Leone stands at a defining moment in its higher education history. Once a beacon of intellectual excellence, our universities now struggle with chronic underfunding, outdated curricula, digital exclusion, and a relentless brain drain. In an era where knowledge fuels economic transformation, we risk falling further behind. If urgent reforms are not undertaken, our higher education system will continue to produce graduates unprepared for the demands of the 21st century, while our brightest minds seek opportunities elsewhere, deepening our intellectual dependency.
This crisis has been a central theme in my Globalization Module lectures at the Institute of Public Administration and Management (IPAM), University of Sierra Leone, where Sustainable Development students have critically examined the intersection of globalization and higher education reform. These students—young, insightful, and eager for change—have consistently raised questions about why Sierra Leone lags behind while other African nations, such as Rwanda, South Africa, Ghana, and Uganda, have made significant strides in leveraging higher education as a tool for national development. Their perspectives have been clear: Sierra Leone can no longer afford to sit on the sidelines of global progress.
Lessons from Africa’s Higher Education Success Stories
Discussions in these lectures have often highlighted the remarkable higher education reforms in Rwanda and South Africa and the leadership of the University of Ghana and Makerere University in Uganda—institutions that have successfully restructured to meet global academic and economic demands.
Among these, Rwanda, a country devastated by genocide in 1994, has transformed its education sector through strategic investment in technology, research, and academic innovation. Today, Rwanda boasts one of Africa’s most rapidly improving higher education systems. The partnership between the Rwandan government and Carnegie Mellon University to establish Carnegie Mellon Africa underscores Rwanda’s commitment to equipping its youth with skills in technology, business, and engineering—fields that directly contribute to national development.
Furthermore, Rwanda’s Vision 2050 has prioritized ICT integration in education, ensuring that students and faculty have access to high-speed internet, digital learning tools, and globally competitive research opportunities. This stands in stark contrast to Sierra Leone, where many universities still struggle with basic internet access and modern learning facilities. The lesson from Rwanda is clear: investment in higher education fuels economic growth and global competitiveness.
Similarly, South Africa has positioned itself as a research and development hub, with universities such as the University of Cape Town and Stellenbosch University leading in medicine, renewable energy, and artificial intelligence. These institutions have successfully bridged the gap between academia and industry, ensuring that university research directly contributes to economic growth. South African universities attract significant foreign investment in research and development, making them globally competitive.
Moreover, South Africa’s private sector actively funds university research, aligning academic programs with labor market needs. Companies collaborate with universities to ensure graduates enter the workforce with skills that meet industry demands. In contrast, Sierra Leone’s universities remain disconnected from the private sector, producing graduates who struggle to secure employment due to outdated curricula and a lack of practical skills.
In West and East Africa, the University of Ghana has emerged as a model for academic reform, regional collaboration, and investment in postgraduate research. Through partnerships with international institutions, the university has strengthened its STEM[1] programs and public policy research, ensuring that graduates contribute directly to national development.
Likewise, Makerere University in Uganda has positioned itself as a leader in policy-oriented research, agricultural innovation, and entrepreneurship training. The university actively engages government and the private sector, ensuring that academic research is applied to real-world challenges. The success of these institutions provides a roadmap for Sierra Leone to build globally competitive universities that serve as engines of innovation.
For too long, Sierra Leone’s universities have operated as extensions of colonial academic models, producing graduates well-versed in Western theories but unprepared to tackle national development challenges. Sustainable Development students at IPAM have repeatedly questioned this outdated system, arguing that higher education must be designed to solve Sierra Leone’s problems rather than mirror foreign academic structures.
The failure to invest in research, upgrade digital infrastructure, and align university curricula with labour market needs has left Sierra Leone trailing behind its regional and global counterparts. Rwanda, South Africa, Ghana, and Uganda are proving that with strategic planning and investment, higher education can drive economic and social transformation. Sierra Leone must learn from these examples and act swiftly. The time for reform is now.
A Call to Action: Urgent Reforms Required
- Invest in Research and Faculty Development
- Establish a National Research Fund to support scholars working on Sierra Leone-specific challenges such as public health, climate resilience, and sustainable agriculture.
- Increase salaries and benefits for lecturers to attract and retain top-tier academic talent.
- Launch government-sponsored Ph.D. scholarships with a mandate for recipients to return and contribute to national development.
- Foster strong university partnerships with regional institutions such as the University of Ghana and Makerere University to enhance research exchange programs.
- Bridge the Digital Divide
- Expand broadband connectivity in all major universities and subsidize student internet access.
- Develop a National Digital Learning Strategy, integrating online learning into university curricula.
- Partner with technology firms such as Google and Huawei to establish affordable university-wide Wi-Fi networks.
- Establish national e-libraries to give students access to global research repositories such as JSTOR and Google Scholar.
- Provide affordable laptops and tablets for students, funded through government-backed student loan programs.
- Strengthen Government-Industry-University Collaboration
- Establish university-industry advisory boards to align academic programs with job market demands.
- Provide tax incentives for businesses that partner with universities to fund research projects and offer internships.
- Create student innovation hubs in universities to support start-ups and entrepreneurship, reducing dependence on white-collar jobs.
- Develop mandatory industrial training programs, ensuring that graduates gain practical experience before entering the workforce.
Conclusion: The Time to Act Is Now
If we do not reclaim our universities now, we risk becoming a nation of job seekers rather than job creators, of consumers rather than innovators. We must demand bold reforms, serious investment, and strategic partnerships to restore higher education as a national priority. Sierra Leone’s future depends on it
*The author Chernor Mohamadu Jalloh is
Lecturer of Governance & Development Studies
IPAM – University of Sierra Leone
E-mail:cmjay2025@gmail.com
[1] STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. It is an interdisciplinary approach to education that focuses on integrating these four fields to develop critical thinking, problem-solving, and innovation skills. STEM programs are crucial for national development as they equip students with the technical expertise needed in various industries, including healthcare, engineering, information technology, and environmental sciences.
Copyright –Published in Expo Magazine, March-April 2025 Edition Vol.3, No.3, (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)