Game Changer: USET to Open Doors in June, Promising Jobs and Innovation
President Barrow speaking to Media © MoHERST
By Fatou Jaiteh
The University of Applied Science, Engineering and Technology (USET) is preparing for its grand inauguration in June 2025—a landmark moment in The Gambia’s journey toward practical, skills-based higher education.
During a site visit on 30th April 2025, President Adama Barrow described the nearly completed campus as a “turning point for youth empowerment and job creation.” Accompanied by the Minister of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology, Professor Pierre Gomez, and other key officials, the President’s inspection was part of a broader effort to oversee major national development projects.
The delegation was welcomed by USET’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Nazmat Toyin Surajudeen Bakinde, who led a tour of the expansive Brikama-based campus. According to the Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology (MoHERST), the state-of-the-art facility includes 12 lecture halls, five media studios, 28 administrative offices, a 250-seat auditorium, 15 modern laboratories, and four fully equipped industrial-grade workshops for Welding, Automotive, Mechanical, and Theory of Machines.
Speaking to journalists on-site, President Barrow praised the project's pace and quality, noting that USET represents a major step toward national self-reliance in technical services. “With institutions like USET, we no longer need to outsource engineering expertise. We are building local capacity to deliver world-class solutions,” he said.
The President highlighted the university’s transformative potential for Gambian youth. “When young people gain practical skills, they gain power—the power to work, to innovate, and to lead. USET is more than a school; it’s a catalyst for economic transformation,” he stated.
MoHERST noted that the World Bank supports USET through the ACE IMPACT Project and the Association of African Universities. As part of its academic development, the institution is collaborating with 18 Nigerian professors who are currently training Gambian lecturers across various engineering fields to ensure academic excellence and long-term sustainability.
The Africa Higher Education Centres of Excellence (ACE) Project, a World Bank initiative in partnership with participating governments, aims to strengthen higher education institutions across Africa. It focuses on specialisations in STEM, environment, agriculture, applied social sciences, education, and health—and represents the World Bank’s first major effort to build higher education capacity on the continent.
With the official opening set for 21st June, expectations are high that USET will become a driving force in reducing youth unemployment and producing a new generation of engineers, technicians, and innovators poised to lead The Gambia into a new era of growth and development.
