The Ministry of Technical and Higher Education (MTHE) held a high-level stakeholder meeting in Freetown to discuss the proposed Centralised Admissions System (CAS) for tertiary education in Sierra Leone. The meeting, held at the Radisson Blu Hotel, brought together university leaders, regulators, examination bodies, technology partners, telecommunications and civil registration authorities, and representatives from Nigeria’s education authorities to discuss how a unified, digital admissions framework could improve transparency, equity, and efficiency in admitting students to universities and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions.
Permanent Secretary Mohamed Sheick Kargbo opened the session, describing the consultation as a watershed moment in the government’s efforts to modernise higher education administration and increase access to tertiary education. He acknowledged that reform initiatives frequently face opposition and cautioned that scepticism about change and its implications for existing institutional practices must be addressed through ongoing dialogue and engagement. Kargbo reassured participants that the CAS is not intended to reduce end users’ roles or responsibilities; rather, it aims to improve coordination, strengthen admissions processes, and overall sector efficiency.
Dr Josephus Brimah, MTHE’s Chief Technical and Higher Education Officer, welcomed delegates and described the event as historic for the education sector. He expressed special appreciation to the visiting Nigerians and reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to collaborative reform. Dr Haja Ramatulai Wurie, Minister of Technical and Higher Education, stated in her address that Sierra Leone is taking concrete steps toward implementing a centralised admissions model, noting that the initiative has Cabinet approval and is anchored in the Universities Act of 2021.
Dr Wurie explained that the current decentralised admissions system causes bottlenecks due to the short time between the release of West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results and the beginning of academic programs. According to the proposed approach, students would apply in their penultimate year of senior secondary school and receive conditional offers before taking their final exams. Final admissions decisions would be confirmed using an integrated digital platform linked to the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) results system, reducing delays and uncertainty for both applicants and institutions.
Dr Wurie emphasised that Sierra Leone will adapt rather than replicate foreign models, and that the system would be tailored to the country’s specific educational landscape and development priorities. She emphasised that the CAS will benefit both universities and TVET institutions, ensuring greater access to higher education opportunities across regions and student populations.
Deputy Minister Sarjoh Aziz-Kamara emphasised that the CAS is based on the Universities Act of 2021 and aims to improve transparency, accountability, efficiency, and fairness in admissions across the country. He welcomed the Cabinet’s approval to establish a Centralised Admissions Secretariat within the Ministry to oversee the CAS through a unified digital platform, stating that the reform complements President Julius Maada Bio’s human capital development agenda. Aziz-Kamara also emphasised the importance of inclusive stakeholder participation, stating that insights from Nigeria’s Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) would help inform the reform effort.
Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education Conrad Sackey described the initiative as a significant step toward more equitable and accountable admissions. He stated that the CAS would ensure that students are evaluated using consistent criteria regardless of location or background, eliminating much of the uncertainty that currently surrounds access to higher education.
Tertiary sector leaders have expressed strong support for the proposed changes. Prof. Edwin J.J. Momoh, Chairman of the Conference of Vice-Chancellors and Principals, described the reform as a historic step that could address long-standing issues such as multiple applications, inconsistent admission criteria, communication delays, duplicated records, and limited access to information. Peter J. Sandy, Chairman of the Conference of Principals, praised the system’s potential to increase credibility and reduce the use of fraudulent examination results, while also noting that students in provincial areas will benefit from improved access to admissions services via the digital platform.
Key partner institutions have pledged operational and technical support. Matilda Jusu, Head of WAEC in Sierra Leone, pledged the Council’s support and emphasised the importance of the BECE and WASSCE in student advancement. Prof. Osman Sankoh, representing the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC), stated that the Commission is ready to align its regulatory framework with the CAS to ensure admissions equity and integrity.
The National Telecommunications Authority (NATCA), represented by Director of Corporate and Industry Affairs Abdul Ben Foday, provided regulatory oversight, assurances about data security, and support for nationwide connectivity to ensure that the digital platform reaches underserved communities. Mohamed Massaquoi, Director General of the National Civil Registration Authority (NCRA), pledged full support for incorporating the National Identification Number (NIN) into the admissions process, claiming that NINs would help eliminate identity fraud, duplicate applications, and impersonation while strengthening data integrity.
Nigeria’s JAMB made a significant contribution, with Registrar Prof. Is-haq Oloyede praising Sierra Leone’s inclusive approach and promising continued technical support. Prof. Oloyede noted that Nigeria implemented a centralised admissions system in 1978 to address similar challenges, and he encouraged Sierra Leone to benefit from decades of experience.
The engagement included presentations on current admissions processes at Sierra Leone’s higher education institutions, as well as an overview of Nigeria’s centralised admissions model. After the presentations, MTHE’s Director of Higher Education, Emmanuel J. Momoh Esq., led a plenary discussion, and the event concluded with a vote of thanks from Deputy Chief Technical and Higher Education Officer Sia Fasuluku.
Participants left the consultation with a common understanding of the CAS as a major reform aimed at streamlining admissions, promoting fairness, and improving institutional coordination. The meeting emphasised the importance of ongoing dialogue among all stakeholders as Sierra Leone prepares to implement a centralised, digitally enabled admissions system.
