By Rosemary Ogbonna
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has pledged technical support to the Government of Sierra Leone in its efforts to establish a transparent, efficient and technology-driven Centralised Admissions System (CAS) for tertiary institutions.
The commitment was made during a high-level stakeholders’ engagement organised by Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Technical and Higher Education (MTHE) in Freetown as part of ongoing reforms aimed at overhauling the country’s higher education admissions process.
The meeting followed a recent visit by a Sierra Leonean delegation led by the Deputy Minister of Technical and Higher Education, Sarjoh Aziz-Kamara, to Nigeria, where members observed the operations of Nigeria’s centralised admissions framework during JAMB’s Annual Policy Meeting.
Following the visit, Nigeria’s Minister of Education approved a technical mission by JAMB to Sierra Leone to share insights and implementation strategies for the proposed reform.
Speaking at the event, Sierra Leone’s Minister of Technical and Higher Education, Haja Ramatulai Wurie, revealed that the proposed admissions system had received Cabinet approval and is supported by the country’s Universities Act 2021.
She said the initiative would address challenges associated with the existing decentralised admissions process by creating a unified digital platform for universities and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions.
According to the minister, the reform is being implemented in collaboration with key stakeholders, including the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC), the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), the National Civil Registration Authority (NCRA), the National Telecommunications Authority (NATCA), and the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education.
Wurie stressed that Sierra Leone’s goal is not to replicate another country’s model but to adapt international best practices to suit its educational needs.
She also expressed appreciation to Nigeria’s Minister of Education, Maruf Tunji Alausa, for supporting the initiative.
Also speaking, Deputy Minister Aziz-Kamara described the reform as a significant step toward enhancing transparency, accountability, efficiency and fairness in tertiary admissions.
He disclosed that Cabinet had approved the establishment of a Centralised Admissions Secretariat within the ministry to coordinate admissions through a single digital platform.
The stakeholder engagement attracted broad participation from government officials, education administrators, regulators and institutional leaders across Sierra Leone’s education sector.
A major highlight of the event was JAMB’s presentation of a framework for developing a national digital admissions architecture designed to improve transparency, eliminate duplication, strengthen data integrity and support effective educational planning.
Addressing participants, JAMB Registrar, Is-haq Oloyede, commended the Sierra Leonean government for adopting an inclusive and consultative approach to the reform process.
Oloyede noted that Nigeria introduced its centralised admissions system in 1978 to address challenges similar to those currently facing Sierra Leone.
He assured stakeholders of JAMB’s continued technical assistance throughout the implementation phase.
”The objective is not to export the Nigerian model wholesale, but to support Sierra Leone in developing a system tailored to its unique national realities while benefiting from decades of experience in admissions administration,” he said.
The Nigerian delegation included the Chairman of the Association of West African Universities, Wahab Egbewole; JAMB’s Public Communication Adviser, Fabian Benjamin; Deputy Director of Operations, Ashura Abdullahi; Data Analyst, Oluwaseyi Bada; and Social Media Content Provider, Prince Kalu.
The visit is expected to deepen educational cooperation between Nigeria and Sierra Leone and advance efforts to expand access to quality higher education through innovation, transparency and institutional collaboration.