By Richard Williams
The Milton Margai Technical University (MMTU) has secured over €100,000 from a total €700,000 grant under the Sierra Leone Education in Entrepreneurial Pedagogy and Skills Project (SLEEK).
This groundbreaking initiative, officially launched Thursday, 12 June 2025 at MMTU’s Congo Cross Campus, aims to bridge the gap between academia and the business world and is poised to be a transformative step in Sierra Leone’s education and entrepreneurial ecosystem.
At the launch event, Mr. Emmanuel J. Momoh Esq., Director of Higher Education at the Ministry of Technical and Higher Education, urged universities to engage in policy-influencing research.
He applauded MMTU for taking the lead in aligning technical education with practical business solutions and encouraged the inclusion of market women and local entrepreneurs in the project.
Delivering an overview of the SLEEK Project, Mr. Papa N’Jai, Coordinator of Short Courses at MMTU, emphasized its national relevance. He announced plans to engage faculties in the coming months to raise awareness, noting that entrepreneurship transcends all disciplines.
The project, he explained, is a continuation of MMTU’s efforts to utilize the business incubator hub at its Goderich Campus. Upcoming events include a combined launch in September, an Entrepreneurship Week in October, and International Innovation Sierra Leone in December.
Professor Philip John Kanu, Vice Chancellor and Principal of MMTU, expressed gratitude to the European Union and project partners, describing the initiative as a potential game changer.
He outlined MMTU’s five strategic goals which includes, increasing access and relevance, ensuring financial sustainability, promoting quality assurance, encouraging applied research, and expanding community service.
He further emphasized the importance of cultivating students’ passion and societal relevance through entrepreneurship training.
Earlier, Ing. Rodney Jenner-Lewis, Acting Dean of the Congo Cross Campus, highlighted the project’s goals of integrating entrepreneurship across academic disciplines, developing practical business skills, and fostering solution-oriented innovation.
In his remarks, Mr. Abdul Bademba Barrie, Acting Dean of the Faculty of Business and Management Studies, said the project would build the capacity of lecturers to effectively teach entrepreneurship, foster academic-business networks, and nurture job creators instead of job seekers, thereby contributing to national development.
The SLEEK project aims to impart real-world skills including pitching ideas, data analysis, creative problem-solving, and innovation. It includes a reviewed curriculum, comprehensive entrepreneurial pedagogy, and a survey designed in collaboration with stakeholders. The initiative will benefit not only students and faculty, but also market women and small business operators. Work packages will cover areas such as project management and quality assurance.
Other institutions benefiting from the EU Erasmus grant include the Institute of Public Administration and Management, University of Makeni, University of Management and Technology (UNIMTECH), and Innovation Sierra Leone, with the United Methodist Church University participating as an observer.
