04/02/2024
“SIERRA LEONE IS WAITING FOR YOU”- FIRST LADY TELLS MATRICULANTS.
The 2023/2024 academic year matriculation ceremony of over 5,500 matriculants of the Milton Margai Technical University (MMTU) was held on Saturday 3rd February 2024 at the Peace Amphitheatre Goderich campus in Freetown at which ceremony the guest speaker, the First Lady, Dr. Fatima Bio told the matriculants that Sierra Leone is waiting for them after graduation to take up various positions to develop the country.
The theme for the ceremony was “Inspiring the Next Generation of Female Leaders.”
In her keynote address, the First Lady Fatima Maada Bio congratulated the matriculants for pursuing their dreams and professions, she furthered that Sierra Leone is waiting for them to advance the country, that they must always attend classes, amidst the challenges; they should remain resilient, focused and follow the footsteps of the great men and women who had graduated from the institution over the years, urged them to change their mindsets as their new status goes with responsibilities, she assured them that upon graduation they would become successful people in society.
The First Lady also observed that the academic environment is a free space, noted that girls are disadvantaged since birth and that being a girl is a blessing to both the parents and the country, stressing that she wants to change the narrative that women can equally perform as men.
Dr. Fatima Bio highlighted the government’s priorities as Human Capital Development including Free Quality Education, addressing Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, especially r**e, teenage pregnancy, HIV/AIDS, and fistula and that government has made tremendous efforts to address those challenges over the past five years.
Dr. Fatima Bio furthered that the government has also actualized the 30% quota appointment for women in governance and the decision-making process, the award of automatic scholarships to girls pursuing the sciences, technology, engineering,
