New 𝐒𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲 Set for 𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐛𝐢𝐚

By Bakary Ceesay

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.

Professor Obiri-Danso made the revelation while speaking to the State House Press Corps following a closed discussion with His Excellency, President Adama Barrow at the State House in Banjul. He was in the company of the Minister of Higher Education, Research, Science, and Technology, Honourable Badara Joof.

“Most Gambian engineers are trained at 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,” Professor Obiri-Danso said, adding that the advancement of any country is highly dependent on science and technology.

Hence, 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 the Ghanaian institute to The Gambia will help 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, Honourable Badara Joof said funding for the university will 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 GTTI but providing degree qualifications for those interested in pursuing courses in those fields”, Minister Joof said of the project.