VP Jalloh Urges Contractors to Accelerate Completion of Educational Projects

Vice President Dr Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh has expressed satisfaction with progress on education infrastructure projects across Sierra Leone, which are nearing completion, while urging contractors to expedite outstanding works and ensure the timely delivery of essential facilities.

Dr Jalloh made the remarks on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, during an inspection of ongoing construction and rehabilitation works at Milton Margai Technical University’s Goderich and Congo Cross campuses in Freetown.

The visit forms part of a nationwide assessment of higher and technical education infrastructure projects aimed at evaluating progress, identifying implementation challenges and ensuring that completed facilities are handed over for use by their respective institutions.

Speaking during the inspection, the Vice President disclosed that the projects had been divided into five lots, with Lots One, Two and Five making significant progress, while other components continued to face implementation challenges.

He said he had reviewed the projects’ financial arrangements and engaged contractors, consultants, project management teams and officials of the Ministry of Finance to identify bottlenecks and explore practical solutions to accelerate implementation.

Dr Jalloh reaffirmed the government’s commitment to working with relevant stakeholders to resolve outstanding issues, including funding constraints, and ensure that the projects deliver their intended benefits to students and educational institutions.

He commended the quality of work observed at the Goderich campus, noting that some completed facilities were ready for use. He consequently directed that completed rehabilitation works at the Congo Cross campus and other project sites be handed over to their respective institutions instead of remaining unused while construction continued on other components.

However, he emphasized that major facilities, including administrative buildings, hostels and amphitheaters, should be completed before formal handover to ensure that the institutions can fully utilise the infrastructure.

The Vice President also announced plans to return to the Goderich campus in November to assess progress on outstanding works, particularly the administrative building and hostel facilities. He added that the government had assured him that counterpart funding would be made available without unnecessary delays to support implementation.

Dr Jalloh linked the infrastructure programme to the government’s human capital development agenda, noting that the Free Quality Education initiative had significantly expanded access to education, bringing more than 1.4 million additional children into the school system over the years.

He explained that the growing number of students progressing through the education system had increased the demand for investment in tertiary and technical education infrastructure, including classrooms, hostels, auditoriums, administrative buildings and other essential facilities.

According to the Vice President, the government’s strategy for strengthening tertiary education rests on three key pillars: infrastructure development, increased recruitment and professional advancement of academic staff, and expanded research capacity.

He further disclosed that the government was pursuing partnerships between Sierra Leonean universities and institutions in countries such as Nigeria and Ghana to promote academic exchanges, strengthen academic supervision, and improve teaching and research.

The project report puts the total programme cost at US$68 million, with US$48.38 million disbursed as of the end of September 2026.

The programme covers several educational institutions across the country, including Eastern Technical University at Bunumbu; government secondary schools in Bo, Kenema and Magburaka; Milton Margai Technical University’s Congo Cross, Brookfields and Goderich campuses; Prince of Wales Secondary School; and a ministerial building intended to accommodate the Ministry of Technical and Higher Education and the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education.

Ali Mustapha Wai, who oversees fiduciary support for the projects at the Ministry of Finance, said the programme was supported by three development partners: the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), the OPEC Fund for International Development, and Saudi funding.

Wai put the financing for the five project lots at approximately US$65 million, explaining that the Ministry of Finance was responsible for facilitating contractor payments, monitoring deliverables and coordinating with development partners to ensure the availability of funds and necessary approvals.

He said the current completion deadline was December 31, 2026, although implementation challenges had affected progress on some components. He added that the Government of Sierra Leone was responsible for providing five per cent of the project financing as counterpart funding.

Civil society representative Charles Mambu welcomed the Vice President’s inspection, describing it as an important demonstration of leadership and commitment to improving educational infrastructure.

Mambu cautioned that the success of the projects should not be measured solely by their appearance upon completion but also by the quality, safety and durability of the structures.

He urged contractors and consultants to use appropriate construction materials and adhere to established standards to ensure that the facilities remained safe, functional and fit for purpose over the long term.

Mambu also pledged independent civil society monitoring of the projects, noting that such oversight would provide the government with objective assessments of implementation progress and help identify challenges that might not be readily apparent during official inspections.

Ali H. Bazzy of SKM Construction Company assured the government that his company was working to fulfil its contractual obligations and complete its assigned projects within the agreed timeframe. He also thanked the Vice President for intervening to address implementation challenges.

The inspection underscores the government’s efforts to accelerate the delivery of education infrastructure, strengthen accountability in project implementation and expand the capacity of tertiary and technical institutions to accommodate the growing demand for higher education across Sierra Leone.