In a heartening ceremony, Madam Kenyeh Barley, Minister of Planning and Economic Development (MoPED), bid a warm farewell to five exceptional Sierra Leonean students who have been selected as recipients of the prestigious 17-month postgraduate scholarship program offered by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).
This landmark event took place at the Ministry’s Conference hall in Freetown.
KOICA, a distinguished Development Cooperation Agency of the Korean government, was established to champion aid programs for developing nations. Their collaboration with MoPED culminated in a Memorandum of Understanding signed on December 1, 2022.
This historic agreement formalized a partnership that introduces scholarship opportunities for government officials across Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), fostering capacity enhancement and advancement through their Capacity Improvement and Advancement for Tomorrow (CIAT) initiative, spanning Masters and Doctoral courses.
Madam Abie Elizabeth Kamara, the dedicated KOICA Focal Person and Director of the Development Assistance Coordination Office at MoPED, reflected on the intricate journey leading to the triumph of this scholarship program. She commended KOICA Nigeria Country Director’s relentless efforts in rejuvenating the diplomatic relationship between Sierra Leone and Korea, laying the foundation for this collaborative framework. She also expressed profound gratitude to KOICA and the Korean government for their transformative contributions to Sierra Leone’s development.
Dr. Francis Smart, Director of Policy, Planning, and Information at the Ministry of Health, opened with congratulatory remarks for Minister Barley’s new role. He enthusiastically highlighted his ministry’s National Health Digital Roadmap and the challenges it faces in terms of staff and implementation. He proudly announced that one of the awardees belongs to their department and revealed plans to establish a National Public Health Agency. He expressed satisfaction that the process was fortified by a focus on gender sensitivity.
Encouraging the recipients, he urged them to channel their newfound knowledge and expertise back into the nation.
Mr. Peter N. Sam-Kpakra, Development Secretary, extended heartfelt appreciation to the Korean government through KOICA for bestowing this pioneering opportunity.
He underscored the program’s alignment with President Dr. Julius Maada Bio’s Human Capacity Development aspirations and encouraged the scholarship recipients to leverage this platform to uplift Sierra Leone’s reputation on the global stage.
Minister Kenyeh Barley, in her interactions during both the zoom orientation and farewell ceremony, extended sincere gratitude on behalf of His Excellency President Dr. Julius Maada Bio, the Sierra Leonean Government, and its citizens to the Korean government and KOICA for the invaluable scholarship support. She emphasized the synergy between the government’s key focus areas – Feed Salone, Human Capital Development, Youth Employment Scheme, Revamping the Public Service Architecture, and Technology and Infrastructure Initiatives – and KOICA’s scholarship programs.
She revealed that future applicants would predominantly be selected from these priority sectors.
Highlighting the critical role of these scholarships in realizing Sierra Leone’s development goals, Madam Barley lauded the recipients and assured them that while challenges may lie ahead, their potential for excellence is undeniable. She rallied them to honor their responsibility as representatives of Sierra Leone by embracing Korean culture and seizing every opportunity to excel.
In her closing remarks, Minister Barley extended heartfelt gratitude to KOICA’s Nigeria Office for their unwavering support, without which this journey wouldn’t have been possible. She affirmed Sierra Leone’s unwavering commitment to the enduring friendship and shared interests in solidarity, peace, and development cooperation with the Government of Korea.
Out of sixteen nominated government officials who underwent rigorous documentation screening and interviews by Korean universities, five exceptional civil servants emerged as fully-funded scholarship recipients.
These scholars will pursue specialized programs at leading Korean universities, focusing on critical fields such as Urban Development, Policy Competency Based on ICT Convergence, and Public Health – Global Health Security.
Notably, three awardees hail from MoPED, while two represent the Ministry of Health.
