The award ceremony held at the MoHERST conference hall, was designed to honour these students for their exceptional academic achievements during their undergraduate studies. However, the scholarships also demonstrate the Government of The Gambia’s commitment to expanding access to higher education for the nation’s youth and supporting their academic and professional aspirations.
At the event, Prof. Pierre Gomez, Minister of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology, described the event as cause of celebration of academic excellence, resilience, and transformative power of education.
He reminded the graduates of their responsibility as future leaders, innovators, and nation-builders, citing Nelson Mandela’s belief in education as a powerful tool for change.
Minister Gomez praised the UTG as The Gambia’s leading institution of higher learning and a key contributor to the country’s development.
The UTG alumni, he added, are vital to the nation's progress, holding influential roles across public and private sectors while he urged the public to respect and value the university for its significant contributions to national growth.
To the graduates, he encouraged them, further urging them to remain humble and curious, as symbolized by Socrates’ quote: “The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.”
He encouraged them to face future challenges with integrity, creativity, and purpose, and to be agents of progress in areas such as governance, healthcare, education, and technology.
Speaking earlier, Ambassador Jainaba Jagne, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology, while thanking the awardees for their achievement, equally expressed her heartfelt congratulations to the awardees on behalf of the Ministry.
She reaffirmed government’s commitment in promoting higher education in the Gambia through MoHERST.
These scholarships, she added, are part of a policy initiative aimed at supporting UTG’s best graduates to pursue further education and contribute to national, continental, and global development.
On behalf of the awardees, Foday M. Sillah, the best graduating student (Bachelor of Arts in English Language), expressed gratitude to the government, MoHERST, and UTG for the supportive learning environment at both the former Kanifing and the new Faraba Banta campuses.
He thanked MoHERST for the scholarship opportunity, calling it a vital step in achieving their educational goals and contributing to national development.
This initiative, he said reinforces the government's commitment to strengthening the higher education sector and recognizing academic excellence as a cornerstone of sustainable development.
