The Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology (MoHERST) on Tuesday officially opened a technical meeting with the African Union Development Agency–NEPAD (AUDA-NEPAD), aimed at strengthening collaboration in education, skills development, and digital transformation.
Delivering the opening remarks, the Minister for Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology, Honorable Professor Pierre Gomez, welcomed the AUDA-NEPAD delegation to The Gambia and described the engagement as timely and aligned with the Ministry’s strategic direction.
He noted that the discussions focus on partnership opportunities in the digital transformation of education systems, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), innovation and entrepreneurship, and the use of digital technologies across the education sector.
As part of the mission, the delegation visited the University of The Gambia (Faraba Banta Campus) and the University of Applied Science, Engineering and Technology, where they were briefed on ongoing infrastructure and equipment investments in the tertiary education sector.
Hon. Prof. Gomez also highlighted AUDA-NEPAD initiatives to be presented, including the Continental Ed-Tech Systems Programme and the Programme for Inclusive and Productive Use of the Internet in Africa.
The technical session brought together MoHERST directors and leaders of key institutions such as the Tertiary and Higher Education Trust (THET) Fund, the Student Revolving Loan Scheme (SRLS), and the National Research and Innovation Fund (NRIF), to share policy priorities, ongoing programmes, and areas for collaboration.
The AUDA-NEPAD delegation, led by Director Symerre Grey-Johnson, Director of the Human Capital and Institutional Development Directorate (HCID), and Dr. Barbara Glover, Programme Officer and Head of Education Unit, HCID, expressed readiness to support MoHERST in advancing education, innovation, and digital transformation initiatives in The Gambia.
The Minister further highlighted ongoing reforms, including the National Science, Technology and Innovation Policy aligned with AU and ECOWAS frameworks, alongside national strategies such as the TVET Policy (2021–2030) and the National Research Policy (2024–2029).
Concluding, Hon. Prof. Pierre Gomez reaffirmed MoHERST’s commitment to strengthening partnership with AUDA-NEPAD to deliver impactful programmes that support national and continental development goals, and officially declared the session open.
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