- The 6-3-3-4 Education System
Reform: Replaced the old British-style education structure with a new system: 6 years primary, 3 years JSS, 3 years SSS, and 4 years university.
Legacy: This system remains the standard in Sierra Leone today.
- The Sierra Leone Roads Authority (SLRA)
Established in 1992 via the Sierra Leone Roads Authority Act.
Legacy: The SLRA remains the primary agency for road infrastructure in the country.
- The National Constitutional Review Commission
Reform: Established in 1990 (often called the Tucker Commission) to review the 1978 One-Party Constitution.
Legacy: The commission produced the 1991 Constitution, which remains the supreme law of Sierra Leone and reintroduced multi-party democracy.
- Establishment of the First Medical School (1988).
The central pillar of this legacy was the creation of Sierra Leone’s first indigenous institution for medical training.
Before Momoh’s administration, Sierra Leone lacked a dedicated medical school, forcing the country to rely entirely on training doctors abroad.
The establishment of COMAHS in 1988 is widely regarded as one of the few enduringly positive achievements of his presidency.
The Reform of Education: This move fundamentally reformed the national education strategy by shifting from an expensive reliance on foreign scholarships (sending students to Europe or the USSR) to building local capacity.
- Establishment of the School (1990).Creation of the first and only Law School in Sierra Leone
Pre-20th century legal education in Sierra Leone required aspiring lawyers to travel abroad, primarily to the United Kingdom, to qualify for the Bar. This was costly and limited access to the legal profession. Upon taking office in 1985, President Joseph Saidu Momoh sought to domesticate professional training to build national capacity.
The most significant aspect of Momoh’s legal reform legacy was the actual creation of the Sierra Leone Law School.
President Joseph Saidu Momoh created the Council of Legal Education Act (1989): Momoh’s administration enacted the legislation that established the Council of Legal Education. This statutory body was tasked with the responsibility of organizing and providing legal education in Sierra Leone.
Opening in 1990: Following the Act, the Sierra Leone Law School was officially opened in 1990. It became the first and only institution in the country dedicated to professional legal training (the final stage before being called to the Bar).
- BUILDING OF COCKERILL MILITARY BARRACKS: Lasting Institutional Legacy
President Joseph Saidu Momoh’s legacy regarding the Cockerill Military Barracks centers on his transformation of the site from a logistical outpost into the National Defence Headquarters.
As a career soldier who rose to become Force Commander and then President (1985–1992), Momoh prioritized the military’s infrastructure and welfare. His development of Cockerill was a strategic “reform” intended to modernize the army’s command structure and secure his power
Current Status:
Today, Cockerill remains the Headquarters of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF) and the Ministry of Defence (MoD).
