Vice President Jalloh Inspects Education Infrastructure Projects At Milton Margai Technical University
FREETOWN: OCT. 16th (232news) –
Vice President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, Dr Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh, has visited Milton Margai Technical University’s Goderich and Congo Cross campuses to assess progress on ongoing construction and rehabilitation works being undertaken under the Sierra Leone Education Sector Support Project (ESSP).
During the visit, Vice President Jalloh disclosed that President Julius Maada Bio had assigned him to lead the assessment of government-sanctioned projects across the country. He described the programme as a flagship initiative of the Bio administration, emphasising the importance of ensuring that public investments translate into improved educational facilities and tangible benefits for citizens.
The inspection of Milton Margai Technical University’s Goderich and Congo Cross campuses forms part of a broader government effort to monitor progress on education infrastructure investments and ensure that resources committed to improving educational facilities deliver meaningful benefits for students, lecturers and the wider education sector.
The site inspection brought together representatives of the ministry of finance, ministry of basic and senior secondary education, ministry of technical and higher education, representatives of Sierra Leone Education Sector Support Project team; and members of the civil society and press.
The visit focused on assessing the progress, quality and implementation of major infrastructure projects designed to strengthen the university’s teaching, learning, administrative and residential facilities.
The planned infrastructure works include the construction of an amphitheatre, an auditorium, an administrative building, male and female student hostels, a multipurpose building comprising 18 lecture rooms, and staff quarters. The programme also includes the rehabilitation of classrooms and other existing university buildings across the relevant campuses. The project also comprises of furniture, laboratory equipment and kitchen appliances, for which procurement process is at advanced stages.
These investments are expected to improve the learning environment, expand institutional capacity and provide facilities that better support the university’s academic and administrative operations. They are also intended to complement the government’s Free Quality Education programme, one of President Julius Maada Bio’s flagship initiatives.
According to the October 2026 Project Progress Update for the Sierra Leone Education Sector Support Project, overall construction completion across the five project lots stood at 86.4 per cent as of September 2026, while overall project disbursement reached 71.14 per cent as of September 30, 2026.
The report puts the total project amount at US$68 million, of which US$48.38 million had been disbursed by the end of September 2026.
The project covers several educational institutions across Sierra Leone, 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 for the Ministry of Technical and Higher Education and the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education.
The infrastructure programme is being implemented through five construction lots, with different contractors responsible for specific packages of work.
For Milton Margai Technical University, Lot 4, handled by SKM Construction, covers construction and rehabilitation works at the Congo Cross and Brookfields campuses, as well as Prince of Wales Secondary School and the relevant ministerial building. Lot 5, handled by EBCO Bitar, covers construction and rehabilitation works at the university’s Goderich campus.
Milton Margai Technical University plays a significant role in technical, vocational and professional education in Sierra Leone. Investments in lecture rooms, student accommodation, administrative facilities and other campus infrastructure are therefore essential to strengthening the institution’s capacity to serve students and contribute to national human capital development.
The construction of additional teaching spaces, including the 18-lecture-room multipurpose building, alongside the amphitheatre and auditorium, presents an important opportunity to improve the physical environment in which teaching, learning and other academic activities take place.
The September 2026 progress figures indicate that Lot 4 had achieved approximately 80.1 per cent completion, while Lot 5 had reached approximately 93.1 per cent. These figures provide an important basis for assessing outstanding works, identifying implementation challenges and determining the measures required to bring the respective projects to completion.
The Vice President’s inspection provided an opportunity for government representatives, project officials, civil society stakeholders and the media to observe the implementation of the education infrastructure programme and assess progress recorded at the university.
Such monitoring visits are important for ensuring accountability in the implementation of major public investments, identifying challenges that could affect timely delivery, and ensuring that the intended educational benefits are ultimately realised.
However, the long-term impact of these investments will depend not only on completing the buildings but also on ensuring that the facilities meet the required standards, are properly equipped and are adequately maintained for sustained use.
Vice President Jalloh emphasised that successful project delivery requires collective responsibility, urging contractors and project management teams to work collaboratively to ensure the timely completion of the projects and the realisation of their intended benefits for the university and the country as a whole.
