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By Ibrahim Joenal Sesay
The Limkokwing University of Creative Technology Sierra Leone Campus with support from the Ministry of Finance, the Sierra Leone Economic Diversification Project as well as the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency has opened its innovative Hub in Freetown.
During a colourful ceremony on Monday 13th February 2023 at the Sierra Leone Campus at Hill Station in Freetown, innovators and entrepreneurs demonstrated some of their skills to help drive the Sierra Leone economy.
Limkokwing University Campus Director, Madam Agnes Mugo, in her welcome remarks said the commissioning of the Lab is an emotional but also exciting day.
She disclosed that almost a year since the initiative started, as the university was selected as one of the beneficiaries of the innovation hub.
She emphasised that they want their students to be job creators and not job seekers, “We have gone through a lot of training, pitch nights and hackathons and also refurbish and equipped the facility to what it is today. We call on all student to take advantage of this facility and use it to the best of your abilities,” she stated.
The Chairman, Council of Limkokwing University Creative Technology, Malaysia, Raja Aznil Bin Raja Hisham emphasised that in today’s world education isn’t just about having the right qualification but it is necessary to develop the potential of individuals.
He said that this generation of students should be able to give new opportunities offered by globalization, as the world is shrinking, it is Limkokwing University’s responsibility to ensure that students are given every opportunity to get the best academic qualification as well as a variety of activities that will develop their talents to create new projects that will benefit not only themselves but the country.
Project Coordinator, Sierra Leone Economic Diversification Program (SLEDP) at the Ministry of Finance, Mary Jalloh, said that Limkokwing University indeed deserves this funding for such a project.
She went on to say they never thought they would get this right since it was a pilot, but the resilient showed by the team there pulled it off at a go.
Madam Jalloh went on to say that they wanted to change the discus around entrepreneurship and inspire students, a goal she knew they will achieve after the pitch nights they organized, as she realized that the generations of students that will change the narratives of Sierra Leone are among those groups. She promised their continued support to the college.
Bashir Muhammad Idris, Senior Manager, Academic Management and Business Development, made a PowerPoint presentation as a means of walking his audience through the process of where the University has come from to have the innovation hub.
He said that the innovation hub is a one-stop shop innovation resource hub as it has the lead academic training, studious, and labs for both soft and hard wares, digital multimedia production content library and data bank as well as incubation space for students. He said in November and December students from the university won a series of pitch nights and hackathons bearing the fruit to the hub.
Deputy Campus Director, Richard Yirah Yanka, reiterates Limkokwing’s ambition to change the narrative of innovation in the country. He called on the students to use the facility with the greatest care and ensure they come up with ideas that will help in addressing the needs of the country.
Statements were also made by Dr. Modupe Taylor-Pearce and Melvin H. Foday, from SMEDA, commenting on the good work the university has made in changing the narrative of entrepreneurship innovation in the Sierra Leone.
