By: Emmanuel Mbowa
Freetown, 8th December 2025- The University of Sierra Leone has conferred degrees and awarded diplomas and certificates to 5,301 students across its three constituent colleges: College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences (COMAHS) – 341. Institute of Public Administration and Management (IPAM) – 2,410 and Fourah Bay College (FBC) – 2,550
This year, only 79 medical students graduated from COMAHS, with Dr Gabriel Musa Tommy emerging as the Best Graduating Medical Student with a Bachelor’s in Medicine and Bachelor’s in Surgery.
Dr Tommy cited initial challenges while studying and urged the government to make a swift transition to their respective postings.
“We lacked essential tools during training. At government hospitals, equipment was often unavailable, and when present, only one or two for a class of 79, far from sufficient.”
“The government must invest more in healthcare, build standard hospitals, provide equipment, and intensify training. Specialist training is especially needed, as many fields lack doctors, leaving us far below the WHO doctor-patient ratio,” he revealed.
“We appeal for a smooth transition into postings. As doctors, we shouldn’t face delays before starting work. The government must fast-track the process so we can begin immediately. The country needs doctors,” he concluded.
The government’s pledge to create 500,000 jobs is still a work in progress, but Labour Employment and Social Security Minister Mohamed Rahman Swaray says significant strides have been made. Speaking to Truth Media, he announced that 147,343 jobs were created between 2023 and 2024.
“We have created 147,343 jobs, but we are not there yet,” Swaray said, underscoring the ministry’s ongoing efforts to meet the larger employment target.
“This is all the more reason we should encourage our people to take advantage of the overseas migration,” he said, calling on qualified Sierra Leoneans to take advantage of the 10,000 jobs up for grabs in Qatar. Applications, he said, are through his Ministry and will be reviewed by Qatari officials.
During the two-day graduation, jubilant graduates and parents appealed for job opportunities for a sustainable future.
“We have invested heavily in our children; so, we kindly ask that the government provide them jobs,” parents called.
The recent World Bank Economic Report cited the need for the government to create at least 75,000 new jobs annually to maintain the current employment level to meet the expanding labour force.
Speaking to this call, Minister Swaray further stated, “We are very deliberate in what we are doing, which is why we are currently investing in technical and vocational training while the Feed Salone initiative is bringing its job value chain for a lot of people.”
While graduates remain hopeful to secure a sustainable future, Minister Swaray said Sierra Leoneans should expect a new minimum wage by the end of December.
With this year’s convocation theme, “Transformation: A Step into the Future, A World with or without Jobs”, Minister of Technical and Higher Education, Dr. Ramatulai Wurie, urged graduates to become more innovative and creative and make significant use of their knowledge backed by technology.
“She emphasized that graduates must embrace adaptability, continuous learning, collaboration, negotiation, and conflict resolution. The world they are entering cannot be navigated by technical skills alone; it demands emotional intelligence, humility, and strong ethical grounding”.
