Sierra Leone
Open Science Symposium

Dr David Moinina Sengeh is a Sierra Leonean technologist, innovator, and researcher who has gained recognition for using technology and data-driven solutions to address various challenges in his country. He holds a PhD in Media Arts and Sciences from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

One of his notable contributions has been in the healthcare field, where he has focused on leveraging data and technology to improve medical care and public health in Sierra Leone. He was involved in developing a mobile platform for tracking and managing healthcare supplies during the Ebola crisis, significantly aiding the response efforts.

Sengeh is also known for his work in prosthetics and assistive devices. He has worked on designing affordable and customizable prosthetic limbs using 3D printing technology, making these vital devices more accessible to those in need.

Furthermore, he has been an advocate for youth empowerment and education. He founded the Innovate Salone program, encouraging young Sierra Leoneans to develop innovative solutions to local challenges. His work has inspired many young people to pursue careers in technology and innovation.

Dr David Moinina Sengeh's dedication to improving Sierra Leone through technological advancements and his commitment to empowering youth have earned him national and international recognition. While he was not the Chief Minister of Sierra Leone as of September 2021, he remained an influential figure in the country's efforts toward progress and development. For the most current information, I recommend checking the latest news sources or official Sierra Leonean government websites.

Haja Ramatulai Wurie is the Minister of Technical and Higher Education for Sierra Leone. Until now, she was a Senior Lecturer and multi-disciplinary researcher working for the College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences (COMAHS), University of Sierra Leone. She has researched several health systems issues in line with the national needs in Sierra Leone, generating evidence to inform government policy and donor strategies for building resilient and responsive health systems, thereby achieving universal health coverage for all. Dr. Ramatulai Wurie has disseminated these research findings at local and international fora and provided technical assistance to the health systems strengthening process in Sierra Leone post-Ebola, working with the in-country and international teams on developing the health sector recovery plan.

She is also at the forefront of sustainable institutional research capacity building at COMAHS, working to change the research landscape. Dr. Ramatulai Wurie is the Principal Investigator/Research Manager on the recently concluded European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) funded RECAP-SL (Research Capacity Sierra Leone) project, which focused on institutional capacity development at COMAHS sustainably for multi-disciplinary health research to support the health system rebuilding phase in Sierra Leone.

Salima Mormorna Bah is a dynamic and visionary leader at the forefront of Sierra Leone's technological advancement. As the newly appointed Minister of Communication, Technology, and Innovation, she is poised to steer the nation's digital evolution under her strategic guidance.

A qualified barrister and solicitor with an LLB (Hons) degree from the University of Wales (Holborn College), Bah is an active participant in the Sierra Leone Bar Association. Her commitment to social justice extends further as an executive member of Lawyers, a non-profit organization advocating for the rights of women and children.

Bah passionately advocates leveraging technology to catalyze economic growth and educational enhancement. Her dedication to ensuring universal technology access and driving innovation resonates in her engagements with tech stakeholders and community visits to understand the challenges citizens face.

A beacon of inspiration, Bah's tenure exemplifies a new era of digital leadership, significantly impacting her country's progress and serving as a role model for aspiring leaders, particularly young women and girls.

Prof. Osman Sankoh COR (Mallam O.) is a distinguished Sierra Leonean Statistician, Epidemiologist, and Public Health Specialist, celebrated for his contributions to academia and research. Holding a BSc.Ed. (Maths) from Njala University College, University of Sierra Leone, and BSc. Hons., M.Sc., and D.Sc. (Statistics) The Technical University of Dortmund, Germany, internationally recognises Prof. Sankoh's expertise.

In June 2023, he assumed the role of Deputy Vice Chancellor for Administration at the University of Management and Technology (UNIMTECH) in Freetown. He's also an adjunct professor at Njala University's School of Community Health Sciences and a visiting scholar at the University of Heidelberg Medical School, Germany. His honorary full professorship at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, acknowledges his exceptional contributions.

He orchestrated transformative changes during his tenure as Sierra Leone’s Statistician-General and CEO of Statistics Sierra Leone (Stats SL) from 2018 to 2023. Prof. Sankoh's influential career has been supported by extensive grant management from global agencies, including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the World Bank. Notably, he received the Commander of the Order of the Rokel (COR) in 2021 and has represented Sierra Leone in various international forums, notably the United Nations Statistical Commission. With over a hundred published papers, his legacy is etched in scientific advancement and leadership.

Professor Bashiru Mohamed Koroma has been the Vice-Chancellor and Principal of Njala University since September 2022. Before this, he served as Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Pro-Vice-Chancellor from March 2020 to August 2022.

He has held various leadership roles within Njala University, including Dean of the School of Postgraduate Studies and Environmental Health Sciences, Director of the Institute of Environmental Management and Quality Control, and Head of the Chemistry Department. He earned his PhD in Environmental Sciences from Zhejiang University in China.

He has worked with organisations like the United Nations Centre for Regional Development and is experienced in international development, food security, and health security. He led projects related to infectious diseases and land use changes. He chairs the Board of Trustees for the Society of Environmental and Public Health Practitioners in West Africa and the National Steering Committee for Small Grant Projects in Sierra Leone.

He has over 108 publications and is a Full Professor specializing in Environmental Sciences, particularly health, water, sanitation, and community engagement.

Yeama Sarah Thompson is a trailblazing figure in journalism and media development in Sierra Leone. Rising from a cub reporter to the first female Managing Director of the Sierra Leone News Agency, she founded initiatives promoting media literacy and human rights transparency.

She established the Initiatives for Media Development, fostering ethical journalism and nurturing young talents. Yeama created Sierra Leone's first fact-checking platform to combat misinformation and owns Spectrum Newspaper, empowering diverse voices.

Beyond her country, she contributed to journalism in Liberia, advocating a rights-media approach during the 2011 Liberian General Elections. She was crucial in promoting free and fair elections, gender equality, and fighting COVID-19 and Ebola through accurate communication.

Yeama's dedication earned her prestigious awards and recognition, solidifying her legacy as the "Open Data Mama" and "Media and Information Literacy Crusader."

Dr. Thomas Philip Songu is an accomplished professional with a diverse background in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and research management. As the Director of ICT at Njala University in Sierra Leone, he also serves as the CEO of the Sierra Leone Research and Education Network (SLREN) and the Country Coordinator for Research4Life operations.

Holding a PhD in Information Technology, he has extensive experience in implementing ICT solutions and services for large organizations globally. With certifications in ITIL, PRINCE-2, and ISO 27001, he is a member of prestigious professional institutions such as IT Service Management (ITSM), the British Computer Society (BCS), and the Chartered Quality Institute (CQI).

Dr. Songu has actively participated in ICT development, research projects, and capacity-building programs, focusing on Open Educational Resources (OER), eLearning, Data Science, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Drone Technology. His expertise also includes the development of Open Science Infrastructure and best practices in Science, Technology, and Innovation (ST&I).

Michala Mackay is the Director and Chief Operating Officer at Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI), where she drives the organizational vision, operational strategy, and talent acquisition. She translates DSTI's four pillars into actionable goals for performance and growth, helping implement organization-wide goal setting, performance management, and planning. Michala works with partners, donors, and stakeholders to deliver Sierra Leone’s National Innovation and Digitization Strategy. She leads the drive to enshrine technology for national development into policy to ensure DSTI’s Institutional sustainability.

Before this, she served as Chief Executive Officer and Registrar of the Corporate Affairs Commission. Reforms she initiated saw an improvement in rank in Sierra Leone's “Starting a Business Indicator” under the World Bank Ease of Doing Business ranking, moving from 99 to 58 out of 190 economies in over three years. In 2018 Michala Mackay was held of the Governance Justice and Security sector pillar comprising 16 government agencies and departments.

She is a Barrister and Solicitor with 17 years of experience in telecommunications, justice sector reform, government, public-private partnerships, and Business Law.

She holds an MBA from the University of Cumbria.

Prof. Aliyageen Mohamed Alghali, born February 29th,1948, attended the Methodist Boys High School, Freetown (1961 to 1962) and the Prince of Wales School (1962 to 1969), where he obtained his GCE O' and A' levels. He holds a degree in Zoology and Chemistry from Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone (1970 to 1973). He taught Chemistry and Physics at the Bishop Johnson Memorial School, Freetown, Sierra Leone (1973 to 1975), before joining the Rice Research Station as a Research Assistant in Rice Entomology (1975 to 1977). He then proceeded to Nigeria for his M. Sc. and Ph.D. in Agricultural Biology (Entomology option) from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria (1977 to 1981). During his four years of studies in Ibadan, he co-jointly served as a Research Fellow at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, Nigeria (1977 to 1981).

He worked for nine years as a Research Scientist/ Senior Research Scientist at the International Centre for Insect Physiology and Ecology(ICIPE) in Kenya (1982 to 1991). While working at ICIPE, he was sent as ICIPE Liaison Scientist to the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in Ibadan, Nigeria, for three years (1985 to 1988).

On his return to Sierra Leone in 1992, he joined the then Njala University College (NUC), University of Sierra Leone (USL) as a Senior Lecturer. He served as Head of the Department of Crop Protection (1992 to 2000) and Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture (1997 to 1998). He rose to the rank of Professor (1999) and subsequently Principal of NUC, in which position he served for five years (2000 to 2005). During his tenure as Principal NUC, he also doubled for one and a half years as Acting Vice Chancellor of the then-unified USL (2003 to 2005). As Acting Vice Chancellor of USL, he superintended splitting the then USL into the present USL and Njala University (NU). He served as a Foundation member of the Tertiary Education Commission for seven years (2001 to 2008).

He became the foundation Vice Chancellor for the newly established Njala University, a position in which he served for four years (2005 to 2009) until he retired.

He was a Georg Foster fellow of the Alexander von Humboldt Stiftung, Germany, for a year and a half. During that time, he worked as a Research Scientist at the Institute of Phytopathology and Zoology, Justus Liebig University, Giessen (May 1998 to November 1999). He was a member of the New York Academy of Sciences and the Marquis Who is Who in the World for several years. He has also served as a member of the Editorial Boards of several International Peer Review Journals. He served as a foundation Member of the National Privatization Commission for six years (2002 to 2008). He also represented the Commission for Privatisation on the Boards of Sierra Leone Commercial Bank, State Lottery and Road Transport Corporation.

He is a life member of the Board of Trustees, Jamiul Atiq mosque, Fourah Bay (since 2011) and the Executive Board of the Sierra Leone Muslim Congress (since 2018).

Prof. Alghali has been the Chairman of the Tertiary Education Commission for the last four and a half years (2018 to date). In this capacity, he represents the Commission at Boards of the University of Sierra Leone Teaching Hospital Complex, the Sierra Leone Council of Postgraduate Colleges for Health Specialities,

the Sierra Leone Teaching Service Commission and the National Youth Commission.
He is well-published and widely travelled. He is married with three sons and holds two national awards as Grand Commander of the Order of the Rokel (GCOR) (2007 and 2019).

Mrs Fatmata J. Kaiwa is the Director of Science Education in the Ministry of Technical and Higher Education (MTHE).

She has prolific skills, solid scientific research abilities, and environmental assessment and management capabilities, including identifying pests and disease problems in agricultural systems.

Mrs Kaiwa has over 30 years of field experience teaching and lecturing at Fourah Bay College (FBC) and the College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences (COMAHS). She has been in the field of consultancy for many years, working with various organizations like NaCWAC, ONS, National AIDS Secretariat, World Bank, National Commission for Environment and Forestry, Environmental Impact and Socio-Cultural Assessment of Bumbuna Phase II Project Area at Yiben, Biodiversity Survey of Western Area Peninsula Forest Reserve and Banana Island, and Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Security.

Academically she holds the following qualifications: M'Phil, Entomology, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana, B.Sc. (Hons), Zoology, Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone, G.C.E . A'Levels, Christ the King College, Bo and G.C.E. O'Levels, Queen of the Rosary School, Bo.

Professor Miriam Conteh-Morgan is a librarian, academic, and researcher from Sierra Leone. She is the former University Librarian at the University of Sierra Leone and a professor in the Department of Library and Information Studies. Prof Conteh-Morgan has over 20 years of experience in the library and information science field, and she has published extensively on various topics, including library management, information literacy, and open access. She is a strong advocate for the use of information technology to improve access to information and education in Sierra Leone.

Prof. Conteh-Morgan holds a PhD in Library and Information Science from the University of Ghana. She is a member of the International Association of School Librarianship and the Association for Library and Information Science Education in Africa. She is passionate about using libraries to promote education and development in Sierra Leone.

Prof Foday Sahr is a trained Medical Microbiologist with a research interest in viral haemorrhagic fevers.

He is currently the Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of Sierra Leone and has over 140 publications in local and international journals.

The Professor of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone, Prof. Redwood-Sawyerr, was the Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone, from 2005 to 2009, and the Acting Vice-Chancellor and Principal, University of Sierra Leone from 2009 to 2011.

Prof. Redwood-Sawyerr is the first Sierra Leonean to head WAFEO, the umbrella body of professional engineering organizations of countries in the West African sub-region. It is affiliated with the World Federation of Engineering Organisations (WFEO) and recognized by the Federation of African Engineering Organizations (FAEO) as one of its five sub-regional bodies.

He served as the substantive Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of Sierra Leone from 2011 to 2013.

He is the Executive Director of the eLearning Centre of the University of Sierra Leone.

Dr Mohammed Combo Kamanda is the Secretary General of the UNESCO National Commission for Sierra Leone. He is a seasoned teacher trainer and lecturer specializing in English Language, Literature, Language in education, Linguistics, and Communication Skills. With an extensive teaching background both domestically and internationally, Dr Kamanda also held the position of chief examiner of Language Arts in Sierra Leone.

His expertise encompasses creative writing, directing stage plays, and serving as Chief Editor of the Sierra Leone Writers Series. He organized debates on contemporary topics at local and national levels. Having worked in the UK as a Post-Doctoral student and later as acting Head of Department and Language Instructor, Dr Kamanda possess substantial knowledge in curriculum planning, development, implementation, and monitoring.

His consultancy roles span various institutions, including the Foreign Service Academy, Eastern Polytechnic's transformation into Eastern Technical University, curriculum development for Senior Secondary Schools, and Communication Skills consultancy for INDEPTH Network Sites. He contributed to publications and research in Language planning and policy.

Dr Rashid Ansumana is the Dean of the School of Community Health Sciences of Njala University in Sierra Leone. He also directs research at the Mercy Hospital Research Laboratory in Sierra Leone. Rashid holds a PhD in Tropical Medicine from the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, University of Liverpool (UK). He is passionate about public health and infectious disease research in resource-poor settings.

Rashid has over 50 peered-reviewed publications on a diverse range of topics in infectious diseases, including Ebola, Lassa fever, Chikungunya, lymphatic filariasis, malaria and antimicrobial resistance.
Rashid coordinates the Sierra Leone PANDORA site, focusing mainly on Lassa fever and emerging or re-emerging infections.

Rashid’s research footprint can be found at the following link: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Rashid_Ansumana/research

Omo is WACREN’s Chief Strategy Officer (CSO). He leads the development, execution and sustenance of WACREN business plans and initiatives. He was the pioneer Chief Technology Officer of the organisation and continues to work with development partners and sister regional networks on the technical development of high-capacity Internet network infrastructure for research and education.