THE VICE – CHANCELLOR AND HER MANAGEMENT TEAM RECEIVES THE GIZ TEAM
During a discussion held at the Conference room Vice-Chancellor’s office in Brikama on Tuesday 20th January 2026, the Vice-Chancellor welcomed Technician Daniel Meyer and Mr. Kawsu Sillah, the GIZ technician and representative respectively. She used the opportunity, on behalf of the Governing Council and USET, to thank GIZ for funding this valuable training on CNC and entrepreneurship. She said due to the importance of this training, she felt the need to meet the team in order to have a clue on the way forward. She acknowledged GIZ, and labelled them as a reliable and dependable partner to USET.
Mr. Kawsu Sillah thanked the VC and all managements of USET for receiving them and prayed for the well being of all in this new year. He said he visited the workshops on campus and was impressed with the equipments on the ground. He expressed his happiness about the partnership between GIZ and USET, and acknowledged The Ag. Director, Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurships, Dr. Ozioma Ikonne for playing a big role in sustaining this partnership. Mr. Sillah said despite the fact that this project will phase out in May, 2026, GIZ will always be available for any support.
Technician Daniel indicated that there is a high level of motivation on the side of the
staff. He said he did a lot with the trainees, and his aim is to put them regularly at the workshops. He said in Germany, this kind of training takes three years, but here, they spent only two weeks. As a result, he recommended for partnerships with companies in order to give room to the staff for further training. He added that the staff are no more going to start from scratch because they have acquired a great deal of experience. He said there is no competitor at the moment, and therefore the University should embrace this opportunity wisely.
Technician Daniel pointed out that during the training, he gave the staff the basics and the tools, and eventually the machines are running. He said some of the trainees are good, and therefore should be further trained, as well as be exposed to industry experience.
He talked about the importance of raw materials as they could be used to enhance the production activities. He said we can acquire aluminum from various surroundings, and collecting them can contribute to the cleansing of the environment. He said since we are at a point where we can produce, we only need to get raw materials. He said they are planning to come up with pilot products, and once again urged Management to prioritize this production because we do not have any competitor in town.
Dr. Seedy Fofana expressed immense appreciation for Technician Daniel. He recommended for the procurement of a coolant as it is a very important component for the well-being of these machines. He said the technicians should be frequently engaged in the workshop in order to keep them abreast with the operations of the machines.
Dr. Fofana suggested that perhaps we can design medals for universities and other institutions that could be used during graduation ceremonies and other events, and generate a great deal of income out of it. He said we can really make quick money on these facilities.
Dr. Ozioma stressed that the support rendered by GIZ cannot be overemphasized. He appreciated the participants for their willingness to undergo this training, and said that it is a good sign. He intimated that he is happy to hear from Technician Daniel that the participants need to be engaged significantly. He said maintenance, durability of the machines, and power supply need to be looked at very well as they are critical to ensure sustainability. However, Technician Daniel assured him that maintenance was part of the training.
The Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics Affairs) Professor Ado Yusuf Abdulfatah said progress is being realized, and appreciated GIZ for the support.
Finally, the Vice-Chancellor reiterated Management’s satisfaction on this training. She said Management will not relent in its responsibilities, and will make sure that the needful is achieved. She thanked everyone for attending the discussions.
