By: Dawda Baldeh
The Minister of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology, Professor Pierre Gomez, has called on higher education administrators to buckle up for real transformation in the sector. Speaking at the opening of a retreat in Kanilai this past weekend, he addressed senior university administrators and urged them to move beyond rhetoric and deliver lasting change.
Speaking on the retreat’s theme, “Accelerating Transformation: From Commitments to Impact,” Prof Gomez urged participants to face reality and change the narrative. “We are ready for that. Our theme alone, accelerating transformation from commitments to impact, shows we don’t have the patience to wait. We need action,” he said, emphasising that discussions must focus on solving the sector’s longstanding challenges.
“We are here to serve the Gambian people. We are here to ensure that the transformation within higher education is felt by everybody,” he added, noting that the retreat must not repeat failed approaches of the past. “We are not here at the ministry to do what has been done before. We are here to serve, and to serve we must, and then we go back to where we belong.”
Known for his proactive leadership style, Prof Gomez reminded the attendees that they are paid with taxpayers’ money and must deliver real impact. “Don’t do anything other than serve the Gambian people. In that process, we will not sugarcoat our deliberations. And that is why we must remind ourselves to buckle up, for the Gambian people to see our resolve, not just hear promises like I will do this, I will do that,” he stated.
Encouraging participants to be bold and honest in their assessments, he said, “We must treat accountability not as a bureaucratic exercise, but as an ethical imperative.” Prof Gomez concluded by underscoring the importance of such retreats in providing full transparency on the status of the country’s higher education system and in driving meaningful change.
