UN Resident Coordinator makes remarks at the launch of the PhD in sustainable development, and education, University of Makeni.
Sierra Leone needs to tap into its brightest and best citizens to contextualize and actualize the 2030 target with innovative approaches.
The Honorable Member of Parliament for Sustainable Development, Musa Moiguah,
The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Joseph Alimamy Turay,
The Dean of UniMak’s Postgraduate School, Professor Bob Conteh,
The Representative from the Tertiary Education Commission, Professor A.M Alghali
Deans of Faculties and Heads of Departments
Ladies and gentlemen.
It is an honour and a pleasure to be invited to address the University of Makeni and its students on this special occasion. Please allow me to give my warm congratulations to Unimak for launching a PhD in Education and a PhD in Sustainable Development in the curriculum. This is a laudable venture.
These two additions to your programme demonstrate the ability of the university to adapt to new trends and understand gaps and opportunities in the development of the country. Education is crucial to every country’s development, and in Sierra Leone, this is recognized through the Medium-Term National Development Plan, which has education as a flagship programme. There are many challenges the education sector faces in Sierra Leone today, but I am inspired and certain that this programme will capacitate future professionals to be agents of positive change and provide solutions to these challenges.
At the UN in Sierra Leone, we work to support the Government in accelerating progress towards the sustainable development goals, and it is heartwarming to know that the country will have a new batch of high-level professionals in sustainable development. Both topics speak directly to our efforts aimed at eradicating poverty and inequalities.
The SDGs give us a platform to create a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity. The SDGs provide us with guidance and metrics to measure our progress. We have now less than ten years to achieve the SDGs, and therefore, the UN has named it the decade of action.
Sierra Leone needs to tap into its brightest and best citizens to contextualize and actualize the 2030 target with innovative approaches. Unimak is doing its part by providing the structure and the foundation to equip education and development leaders to accelerate the implementation of the SDGs.
On behalf of the United Nations in Sierra Leone, I hope that these fit-for-purpose programmes that you have established at UNIMAK would serve as a catalyst to drive not only a discourse on the SDGs but in the unleashing of its brightest and best to harness the very best potentials of the SDGs anchored on leaving no one behind.
Once again, I congratulate you on this bold step in elevating education and sustainable development at the highest echelon of academia in Sierra Leone.
