17thApril 2026

REVOLUTION IN THE HALLS: MINISTER HAILS IPAM’S ‘BOLD NEW NARRATIVE’ FOR ONLINE EXAMS

In a scene more reminiscent of a festival than an official inspection, the Deputy Vice Chancellor of IPAM, Professor Ezekile Kalvin Duramany-Lakkoh, opened the gates of the ICT hub on April 17th to welcome the Minister of Technical and Higher Education, Dr. Haja Ramatulai Wurie. It was an occasionof ahigh-stakes inspection of the online examination infrastructure that powered the First Semester Examinations for the 2025/2026 academic year.

But the ceremony was nearly upstaged by the students themselves. As the Minister arrived, accompanied by her son, the campus erupted. Students, fresh from their last papers, were jubilating in a “sign-out” celebration, dancing, displaying cohort banners, and asking passersby to scribble memories on their shirts anddresses. “This is a revolution,” Professor Lakkoh declared passionately at the gate, his energy setting the tone for the visit. “We now see a minister who is down to earth to drive change. She is highly educated and very passionate about modernization through digitization.”

The Deputy Registrar, Mr. Albert Baio, called the gathering to order, noting that despite the Minister’s pressing schedule, “she is always ready to support IPAM.” A room inside the old building, now transformed into a sleek ICT and Digital hub, Professor Lakkoh wasted no time detailing the scale of the shift. He reminded the audience that Dr. Wurie had commissioned four centers of excellence just three weeks prior. “It was not easy to see a minister walking into classrooms to know what is happening,” he admitted. But then he revealed the game-changer: a direct partnership with Wuhan University in China.

“The Minister contacted Wuhan University for collaboration and capacity building. She handed the MOU to IPAM,” Professor Lakkoh announced. “On Monday, we will have our first online meeting with them. This is what the minister is yearning for.”

GRADES READY IN 24 HOUR

The most persuasive proof came when Professor Lakkoh addressed the chronic pains of university life: missing results and unfair assessments. “These students completed their exams yesterday,” he said, pausing for effect. “Today, their grades are already out.” He continued: “There will be no more cries about missing grades, unfair assessment, or question leaking.” The platform, he assured the Minister, is secure and familiar to students. Using AI generation for multiple-choice and short-answer questions, the system allows for fast marking, instant collation, and deep analysis. Even postgraduate examinations will soon migrate to the platform.

THE CHALLENGE AHEAD 

By

Dr.Tonya Musa Director of Communication and International Relations, University of Sierra Leone