Mohamed Muckson Sesay
Sierra Leone’s Chief Minister, Dr. David Moinina Sengeh, has reflected on the lasting impact of his education policies and leadership journey, describing a recent university lecture as a “surreal” and deeply fulfilling moment.
In a post shared on his official Facebook page under the title “The Chief’s Diary: Literally Shaping a Generation of Leaders From School Policy to the University Lecture Room,” Dr. Sengeh recounted how students currently attending his university class are direct beneficiaries of critical policy decisions he helped shape as Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education.
Dr. Sengeh, who has taught at the university for about six years, revealed that students in his fifth-year Honors II engineering class had earlier sat their high school transition examinations under policies he introduced during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
“At the peak of COVID-19, the world was under lockdown,” he wrote. “Parents were bashing me for making a decision they thought would put their children at risk.” Despite public concern, Dr. Sengeh said data-driven assessments and collaboration with the Ministry of Health informed his decision to recommend the reopening of schools for final-year students to sit their examinations.
The motion was presented to Cabinet and subsequently approved by President Julius Maada Bio and the government. According to the Chief Minister, additional support measures were put in place, including learning materials and academic assistance, to help students succeed during the challenging period.
Sierra Leone went ahead with its high school transition examinations at a time when some ECOWAS countries delayed the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for an additional year.
Years later, Dr. Sengeh says he is now teaching those same learners at the university level, where they are being trained in innovation, entrepreneurship, and problem-solving skills that will shape their professional and personal lives.
“Today, those learners are in my class,” he noted. “And now they are learning about innovation and entrepreneurship skills that will literally shape their lives.”
Reflecting on the experience, Dr. Sengeh emphasized that measurable impact is what motivates his service in public life.
“This is what drives me,” he wrote. “Impact. Shaping the lives of Sierra Leoneans directly through policy and through action.”
He concluded his reflection with a message of collective responsibility and progress, reaffirming the government’s development agenda with the words: “Together #WeAreDelivering.”
