The vice-chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Professor Kwasi Obiri-Danso, has revealed that his university has signed an agreement with the government of The Gambia to help establish a university of science, technology and engineering in The Gambia.
Prof. Obiri-Danso made the revelation while speaking to the State House Press Corps here following a closed discussion with President Adama Barrow at the State House on Wednesday.
“Most Gambian engineers are trained at the KNUST. Hence bringing that to your doorstep will help advance the developmental challenges in The Gambia. I hope that we can start this new university in January 2020,” Prof. Obiri-Danso said, adding that the advancement of any country was highly dependent on science and technology.
Ghana’s founding president; Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, thought it wise to establish such a university in Kumasi, Ghana, many decades ago.
“Science and technology education is greatly needed in The Gambia if we are to develop our country,” President Barrow told the delegation.
“Education is a priority area of my government’s development plan (NDP 2018-2021). Hence the establishment of this university will be something that will be good for The Gambia.”
The primary objective of the agreement requires that the Ghanaian institution will help The Gambia with the establishment and development of its own university of science, technology, and engineering to help train Gambians and diversify the economy of the country, just as it did in Ghana.
The minister of Higher Education, Research, Science, and Technology, Badara Joof, said funding for the university would be jointly provided by the World Bank, Government of The Gambia, and OISCA Foundation as a grant to The Gambia.
“It will complement the already existing technician training programmes run by the Gambia Technical Training Institution but providing degree qualifications for those interested in pursuing courses in those fields,” Joof said.