The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Sierra Leone in establishing a transparent, efficient and technology driven Centralized Admissions System for tertiary institutions across the country.
The assurance was given during a high level stakeholder engagement organised by Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Technical and Higher Education in Freetown as part of efforts to reform the country’s higher education admissions process.
The engagement followed a recent visit by a Sierra Leonean delegation, led by Deputy Minister of Technical and Higher Education, Sarjoh Aziz-Kamara, to Nigeria, where members observed the operations of Nigeria’s centralized admissions model during JAMB’s Annual Policy Meeting.
Speaking at the event, Sierra Leone’s Minister of Technical and Higher Education, Dr. Haja Ramatulai Wurie, disclosed that the proposed Centralized Admissions System had received Cabinet approval and is backed by the Universities Act of 2021.
She said the initiative would address challenges associated with the current decentralized admissions process by creating a unified digital platform for universities and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions.
Dr. Wurie noted that the reform is being implemented in collaboration with key stakeholders, including the Tertiary Education Commission, the West African Examinations Council, the National Civil Registration Authority, the National Telecommunications Authority and other relevant agencies.
She also expressed appreciation to Nigeria’s Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, for supporting Sierra Leone’s efforts to modernize its admissions system.
Also speaking, Deputy Minister Sarjoh Aziz-Kamara described the initiative as a significant step towards enhancing transparency, accountability, efficiency and fairness in tertiary admissions.
He revealed that Cabinet had approved the establishment of a Centralized Admissions Secretariat within the ministry to oversee admissions through a single digital platform.
A major highlight of the engagement 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 educational planning.
Addressing stakeholders, JAMB Registrar, Is-haq Oloyede, commended the Sierra Leonean government for its consultative approach to the reform process.
He noted that Nigeria established its centralized admissions system in 1978 to address similar challenges and assured Sierra Leone of JAMB’s continued technical support throughout the implementation process.
According to him, the objective is not to replicate the Nigerian model entirely but to assist Sierra Leone in developing a system tailored to its unique national needs while benefiting from Nigeria’s decades of experience in admissions administration.
The visit is seen as a major milestone in educational cooperation between Nigeria and Sierra Leone, reinforcing both countries’ commitment to improving access to quality higher education through innovation, transparency and institutional collaboration.