Prof Gomez disclosed MoHERST’s plans for next year in an exclusive interview with The Point on the overview of his ministry’s activities for the year 2023.
The interview created opportunity to assess and critically discuss the ministry’s challenges encountered in the previous year, such as achievements registered, likewise plans for the year 2024.
Hon. Gomez described the year 2023 as a path of continuous progress considering “the fact that things are taking a good shape” with a wider public awareness of the ministry’s mission and vision.
He said: “2024 must be a year of delivery. We will move from theory to practice, because the Gambian people and the youth in particular want to see the results.”
He added that they would move into the implementation stage of the transformation agenda for tertiary and higher education in The Gambia in 2024
He noted that they had faced serious financial challenges with a budget of 0.8% of the total Gambia government appropriation. For that, he said, they have to engage all development partners to be able to perform more.
Minister Gomez said during the year 2023, his ministry was able to do a lot with the University of The Gambia moving to Faraba Campus. He described the movement of the university campus to Faraba as their main achievement.
He also said they were able to deliver the TVET program to Ndemban for the first time. He further said the TVET centre in Kanilai has also been completed and ready for lectures to begin on 5 February 2024.
“We have already finished all our bills for the students’ loans scheme and we have sent it to be tabled at cabinet for it to go to parliament in 2024,” he said. “We also have the Tertiary Higher Education Trusts Fund (TAT) also ready to go to cabinet.”
The research and education fund, research policy and other related frameworks and policies are also ready for cabinet, he further said.
“The report for the transformation of the Management Development Institute (MDI) into a Civil Service College, the transformation of the Gambia College into a University of Education is also ready for validation and will be sent to cabinet immediately after Christmas among other issues,” he stated.
He revealed that other activities on the TVET Centres’ progressive move include the USET Campus of Civil, Electrical and Mechanical Engineering in Brikama which will be ready in the coming months.
He divulged other parts of his ministry’s plans for 2024 include the completion of the ongoing construction of the new multi-purpose TVET centres in Central River Region-North and Kuntaur.
According to him, TVET centres in the pipeline include the agri-business at Sapu and the one on fisheries in Gunjur.
He concluded that another TVET centre would be erected at Mbuguma community in the North Bank Region through a private partnership with the Ahmadiyya Mission.
