By: Emmanuel Mbowa
Freetown, 8th February 2026- One of Sierra Leone’s most distinguished and accomplished academics, Associate Prof. Miriam Conteh-Morgan, has been honoured with the 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Education Champions Awards (NECA) in Freetown.
At the third edition of the NECA awards, brilliance, resilience, and academic excellence were spotlighted. The ceremony honoured 26 individuals and institutional champions across various categories, including Best 2025 NPSE, BECE, WASSCE, Best Graduating Students, and both individual and institutional “Resilience” categories. Prof. Miriam Conteh-Morgan, who has dedicated four decades to academia, received this year’s special award in recognition of her steadfast commitment to transforming tertiary education in Sierra Leone.
“I would like to thank the board of the Mamie Mariama Justice Ganawah Foundation for honouring me with the 2026 NECA award,” she stated. “I realised that I am the first female awardee, and this makes me very proud because I see it as a recognition of all young girls and women in Sierra Leone. Therefore, I dedicate this award to all of us women. It is a symbol of what the future can hold with passion, dedication, and purpose, rather than a pursuit of fame.”
Associate Prof. Conteh-Morgan served as the first female Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the Institute of Public Administration and Management (IPAM), a constituent college of the University of Sierra Leone. During her tenure, she was instrumental in transforming the institution by bridging the age-old gap between theory and practice, notably through the introduction of the Centre of Excellence for young entrepreneurs and administrators.
She has been a consistent inspiration to small business owners, and her work has had a lifelong impact on both the entrepreneurial and business sectors. During the event, she shared an amusing secret: “I normally refer to myself as an ‘AA’; an Accidental Academic. I did not set out to be an academic. After graduating, I plan was to teach for a few years and then transition into the career I originally wanted. However, 45 years later, here I am.”
Before returning to Sierra Leone in 2013, she spent over two decades in the U.S. academic system. At The Ohio State University (OSU), she served as an Associate Professor and Subject Librarian for African Studies, Linguistics, and French. At OSU, she was renowned for expanding the library’s collection of sub-Saharan African materials. During the late 1990s, she also taught English at Harvard University during several summer sessions. Her teaching career in the U.S. spanned English as a Second Language (ESL), African literature, and writing courses across various institutions in Ohio.
Moreover, Prof. Conteh-Morgan is celebrated for bridging the gap between African scholarship and the international academic community. She has published extensively on how African researchers can utilise new technologies to join global academic conversations and “bring African research out of the shadows.” She has authored several books, including The Undergraduate’s Companion to African Writers and Their Websites and The Undergraduate’s Companion to Women Writers and Their Websites. Her research expertise focuses on information literacy, second-language acquisition, and the role of librarians in expanding the literary canon.
She also held the position of University Librarian for USL and Head Librarian at IPAM, where she led national initiatives to modernise librarianship and re-energise research and publication through ICT and digitisation.
Feeling fulfilled and gratified to receive the 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award, Prof. Conteh-Morgan acknowledged the vital role young women can play if given the opportunity. Reflecting on her tremendous contributions to the education sector: particularly at IPAM, University of Sierra Leone, where she is recognised as a “Barrier-Breaker”, she remarked:
“Being recognised in one’s own country is the dream of every sojourner. I thank MAMJGEF for making this sojourner’s dream a reality. I thank my colleagues, sister institutions, and friends for making this a remarkable night. It is a proud moment in my career.”
Prof. Conteh-Morgan concluded with deep appreciation for her family, especially her children, “who learned to be responsible kids and great cooks while I was toiling in the library to get that article or book ready for publication.”
