Vice President Dr Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh has inspected construction and rehabilitation works at Milton Margai Technical University’s Goderich and Congo Cross campuses, reviewing progress and challenges affecting delivery.

The inspection took place on 13 October 2026 under the Sierra Leone Education Sector Support Project, which is supporting the works with funding from the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa. The visit formed part of President Dr Julius Maada Bio’s directive for the Vice President to monitor government-supported infrastructure projects, including their quality, value for money and anticipated benefits to citizens.

Progress at the campuses

At the Congo Cross campus, rehabilitated classrooms had been handed over and were being used by students, according to the Vice President. At Goderich, Dr Jalloh expressed satisfaction with the quality of the completed work, particularly the male and female student hostels being constructed to help address accommodation challenges.

The wider university component includes an amphitheatre, an auditorium, an administrative building, staff quarters and a multipurpose building with 18 lecture rooms. The programme also covers the rehabilitation of classrooms and other existing university facilities.

Implementation is divided into five construction lots. Lot 4, being undertaken by SKM Construction, includes work at the Congo Cross and Brookfields campuses, Prince of Wales Secondary School and a ministerial building. Lot 5, assigned to EBCO Bitar, covers construction and rehabilitation at the Goderich campus.

September progress figures put overall completion at approximately 80.1 percent for Lot 4 and 93.1 percent for Lot 5. Across the five lots, construction was reported at 86.4 percent completion as of September 2026, while project disbursement stood at 71.14 percent by 30 September. The total project amount is US$68 million, with US$48.38 million disbursed by the end of that month.

Call for coordinated delivery

Government ministry representatives, the Education Sector Support Project team, contractors, project managers, consultants, civil society organisations and media representatives attended the inspection.

Project managers at both campuses assured the Vice President that outstanding works would be completed within the agreed timelines. Dr Jalloh urged contractors and project management teams to work together to address implementation difficulties and reaffirmed the Government’s support.

“My role is to support the contractors, project managers and consultants so that they can deliver these projects,” he said.

He also pledged to return to the campuses to assess further progress and support completion and handover of the facilities. The project includes furniture, laboratory equipment and kitchen appliances, with procurement described as being at an advanced stage.

Civil society activist Alphonso Manley welcomed the progress while calling for continued monitoring and adequate funding to complete the remaining work.

“So far, so good. We appreciate the progress, though more work remains to be done,” Manley said.

The broader programme also covers Eastern Technical University at Bunumbu, government secondary schools in Bo, Kenema and Magburaka, Prince of Wales Secondary School and a ministerial building. Its stated purpose is to improve educational infrastructure and strengthen teaching, learning, administrative and residential facilities.