S/Leone Launches African Standards & Guidelines

By John Kelly Marah
Sierra Leone on Thursday joined other African nations in launching the African Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance (ASG-QA), a continental framework aimed at harmonizing and improving the quality and credibility of higher education across Africa. The event, held at Limkokwing University of Creative Technology at Hill Station, brought together top education officials, university leaders, and regional partners under the theme: “Advancing Quality, Equity, and Excellence in African Higher Education.”

The ceremony featured senior education stakeholders, including Dr. Josephus Brimah, Chairman and Chief Technical Higher Education Officer at the Ministry of Technical and Higher Education; Prof. E.J.J. Momoh, Chairman of the Conference of Vice-Chancellors and Principals (CVCP) and Vice-Chancellor and Principal of Ernest Bai Koroma University of Science and Technology (EBKUST); and Dr. Saidu Kanu, Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC). Moreover according to Dr. Brimah, the Chairman of Technical a d Higher Education Officer described the launch as “a significant milestone in our collective journey to strengthen and harmonize quality assurance mechanisms across African higher education systems.

He noted that the ASG-QA was not merely a set of technical documents but “a strategic framework for transformation” that would improve the relevance, consistency, and credibility of higher education across the continent. “The ASG-QA represents our commitment to equity, quality, and excellence,” Dr. Brimah said. “It will help build a stronger, more resilient, and globally competitive higher education system for Africa.” Furthermore, he emphasized the need for universities, quality assurance agencies, and policymakers to take ownership of the framework and collaborate to ensure its full implementation in Sierra Leone.

Delivering remarks on behalf of the country’s higher education institutions, Prof. E.J.J. Momoh, the Vice Chancellor of the Ernest Bai Koroma University, reaffirmed the commitment of universities to adopt and operationalize the new standards.
“The ASG-QA is not just a document—it is a strategic instrument for transformation,” Prof. Momoh said, adding that “It will harmonize quality assurance practices across African countries, support the mutual recognition of qualifications, and foster a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.” He further described the guidelines as a powerful tool for realizing the Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA 16–25) and the African Union’s Agenda 2063, both of which envision an integrated and globally competitive African higher education space.
Earlier, Dr. Saidu Kanu, Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Commission, emphasized that the dissemination and institutionalization of the ASG-QA would strengthen Sierra Leone’s national quality assurance framework.

“Quality does not happen by accident—it requires strong systems, data-driven decision-making, and continuous improvement,” Dr. Kanu said. “Institutionalizing the ASG-QA means embedding a culture of quality within every institution, where every lecturer, administrator, and student becomes a custodian of excellence,” he added.
He noted further that the TEC, as the national quality assurance agency, would continue collaborating with partners such as the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) through the Assuring Quality of Higher Education in Africa (AQHEd) project to contextualize and implement the framework effectively.
Additionally, Mr. Emmanuel Thinka Kamara, Manager for Academic Affairs and Institutional Accreditation at TEC, expanded on the purpose of the workshop. He said participants would explore practical ways to integrate the ASG-QA into institutional and national systems, adding that collaboration among regulators, policymakers, and institutions was key to effective implementation.

Participants were introduced to key supporting tools such as the ASG-QA User Guide, the African Quality Rating Mechanism (AQRM), and the African Credit Transfer System (ACTS)—all designed to advance the quality and relevance of higher education on the continent. The one-day dissemination workshop concluded with a collective call for commitment from all higher education stakeholders to fully adopt and implement the ASG-QA. Participants hailed the event as a landmark moment for Sierra Leone’s higher education sector—signaling the country’s readiness to align with continental and global quality assurance standards.