Prof. Pierre Gomez made this call on Monday during the Ministry’s Second Quarter Tertiary and Higher Education Sector Retreat held at the Sindola Safari Lodge, Kanilai village in Foni Kansala.
The theme for the retreat - “Accelerating Transformation: From Commitments to Impact,” is an apt reminder which signals a decisive shift, from deliberation to delivery, from aspiration to action, and from policy frameworks to lived realities.
Addressing the gathering, Minister Gomez reminded that recent inaugural sector retreat is a bold step toward redefining how they govern, fund, and grow higher education in The Gambia.
This, he said, yielded a comprehensive set of 23 resolutions focused on institutional accountability, digital transformation, governance, performance management, and sustainable development.
The retreat, Prof. Gomez added, would also enable them to evaluate institutional progress against Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) as well as resolutions made in February, to identify and resolve implementation bottlenecks.
He said it would also enable them to recalibrate strategic priorities in line with current realities, while strengthening stakeholder alignment across their ecosystem.
Minister Gomez maintained that the retreat was also to examine the status of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems and digital learning platforms, the progress of institutional accreditation and the National Qualifications Framework.
"It will also help examine the evolution of our performance contracts, the alignment of their budgets with strategic priorities, and the real-world impact of our research and innovation initiatives."
The retreat, he added, is expected to conclude with a progress report which will outline a refined KPIs framework; a clear Q3 and Q4 Action Plan; a strengthened collaboration mechanism, and a resource mobilisation strategy aligned with our development partners."
Ambassador Jainaba Jagne, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry, reminded that their collective efforts are crucial in ensuring that tertiary and higher education systems continue to be responsive, innovative and competitive even at the global level.
Also speaking, Alhaji M. Jallow, chairman of the National Accreditation and Quality Assurance Authority (NAQQA) Governing Council, pointed out that the Authority has made significant strides in implementing the key resolutions entrusted to it during the first quarter retreat.
That, he said, includes a comprehensive review of the Tertiary and Higher Education Act 2016, among a host of others, to address emerging trends and sector needs.
