Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology

What Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology does

The Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology (MoHERST) is a government ministry of The Gambia, headquartered on Senegambia Highway in Bijilo with a relocated office in Kanifing, responsible for tertiary and higher education, research, science, technology, and innovation policy across the country. Founded in 2007 and operating with 47 employees under Minister Hon. Professor Pierre Gomez and Permanent Secretary Ms. Isatou Auber, the ministry oversees four public universities — the University of The Gambia (UTG), the University of Applied Science, Engineering and Technology (USET), the University of Education The Gambia (UEG), and the Civil Service University (CSU) — alongside the National Accreditation and Quality Assurance Authority (NAQAA). It coordinates a national network of TVET Centres of Excellence and manages dedicated funds including the Skills, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (SIE) Fund, the National Research and Innovation Fund (NRIF), the Tertiary and Higher Education Trust (THET) Fund, and the Student Revolving Loan Scheme.

MoHERST operates a digital services platform at moherst.gov.gm that supports online student registration, scholarship applications, business registration, and access to labour market information. The ministry's underlying technology stack is a standard government web portal with an EMIS system for TVET institutions and a Social Registry System for beneficiary tracking; the only flagged AI-adjacent capability is receipt of an AI robot for STEM development. Operational technology and infrastructure includes commissioned campuses at USET Brikama and UTG Faraba Banta, a China-funded Luban Workshop, and active construction of TVET centres across multiple regions. A NAQAA-issued directive mandates that all tertiary institutions quote fees exclusively in Gambian Dalasi.

MoHERST is funded through a combination of Government of The Gambia national budget allocations and development partner grants from the World Bank (RISE Project, ACE Impact), Islamic Development Bank (US$32.20 million for the School of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences), African Development Bank, UNESCO, the Commonwealth of Learning, the EU/Erasmus+, China, Türkiye, and the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps. Services are delivered free at the point of use to Gambian citizens and partner institutions, with no commercial pricing model. The ministry's strategic focus over 2023–2026 has been institutional transformation, including the launch of USET, UEG, CSU, NRIF, THET Fund, and the Students Revolving Loan Scheme, positioning Gambia for expanded tertiary access and a skills-based economy.

Name

Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology

Legal name

Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology

Website

https://moherst.gov.gm

Company type

Public

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

MoHERST is the Gambian government ministry that governs tertiary and higher education, research, science, technology, and innovation, overseeing public universities UTG, USET, UEG, and CSU, the NAQAA accreditation body, a nationwide TVET Centres of Excellence network, and dedicated research and student financing funds, funded by the national budget and development partners including the World Bank, IsDB, and AfDB.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Higher Education Services

NAICS

Administration of Education Programs (92311), Public Administration (92), Administration of Education Programs (923110)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDADAAAA

National/Federal Ministries & Departments of Education

Education/Education Administration, Accreditation & Policy/Education Ministries, Departments & Regulatory Agencies

SECONDARYEDADALAA

Intergovernmental Education Cooperation & Bilateral/Multilateral Programs

Education/Education Administration, Accreditation & Policy/Education Partnerships, Intergovernmental & NGO Programs

SECONDARYEDADADAC

Government Education Policy Units (Strategy & Legislation)

Education/Education Administration, Accreditation & Policy/Education Policy, Research & Think Tanks

SECONDARYEDADALAJ

STEM, Digital Skills & Innovation Partnerships

Education/Education Administration, Accreditation & Policy/Education Partnerships, Intergovernmental & NGO Programs

Keywords

• Higher education policy
• Tertiary education services
• TVET training programs
• Research and innovation
• Scholarship administration

Headquarters

HQ city

Bijilo

HQ country

Gambia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Government Budget Allocation: Core operational funding from Government of The Gambia national budget
2. Development Partner Funding: Funding from international development partners including World Bank, African Development Bank, Islamic Development Bank, UNESCO, and bilateral donors supporting various education transformation projects

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology (MoHERST) is a government ministry of The Gambia that coordinates policy, regulatory oversight, and institutional support for tertiary and higher education, research, science, technology, and innovation. It delivers services through public universities, TVET centres, and an online portal offering student registration, scholarship applications, accreditation, and funding programs such as the SIE Fund, NRIF, THET Fund, and Student Revolving Loan Scheme.

Product overview

The Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology (MoHERST) operates as a government ministry providing public services for higher education and skills development in The Gambia. The ministry offers a student and business registration portal for accessing various services including scholarship applications, labor market information, and institutional support. Key service programs include the Skills Innovation and Entrepreneurship (SIE) Fund, National Research and Innovation Fund (NRIF), Tertiary and Higher Education Trust (THET) Fund, and Student Revolving Loan Scheme. The ministry coordinates the development of TVET Centers of Excellence across the country and manages accreditation of tertiary institutions through NAQAA.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Student Registration Portal Online portal for student registration providing access to scholarships, job listings, institution enrollments, and labour market information. Targeted at students seeking tertiary and higher education access in The Gambia.
• Skills, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (SIE) Fund World Bank-funded grant program under the RISE Project providing institutional support, training grants, and startup grants for TVET institutions and entrepreneurs in The Gambia.
• National Research and Innovation Fund (NRIF) National fund approved by the National Assembly to provide long-term financial support for research and innovation activities in higher education institutions across The Gambia.
• Tertiary and Higher Education Trust (THET) Fund Fund established under the THET Fund Act 2025 to provide sustainable funding for public tertiary and higher education institutions in The Gambia, enhancing quality and research capacity.
• Student Revolving Loan Scheme Financial assistance program for Gambian students pursuing tertiary education, established under the Students Revolving Loan Scheme Act 2025 to improve accessibility to higher education.
• TVET Centers of Excellence Network of technical and vocational education and training centres being developed across The Gambia, including fisheries, agribusiness, and multipurpose facilities planned across up to eight regional locations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 46% female enrollment at University of The Gambia
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered major, minor and core.

• Association of African Universities (AAU)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting Africa Centres of Excellence (ACE) Impact Project. AAU recognized for excellent partnership in establishing USET as part of 53 ACE centres.
• UNESCO NATCOMmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupports Research Management Training Program and Researcher Development Training for higher education institutions. Also supports UNESCO Participation Programme for capacity building.
• Commonwealth of Learning (COL)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on National Gender Inclusion Policy for Tertiary and Higher Education Sector. Supports Girls in STEM and TVET mentorship programs across USET campuses.
• FENTA Consulting ArchitectsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerContracted to supervise first phase construction and develop master plan for USET Brikama Campus.
• People's Republic of China / Chinese EmbassymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for establishing Luban workshop at USET for hands-on technical skills training. China-Gambia bilateral cooperation in TVET development.
• Republic of Türkiye / Turkish EmbassymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBilateral cooperation discussions on higher education, TVET, scientific research, and innovation led by Turkish Ambassador Türker Oba.
• Nigerian Technical Aid Corps (NTAC)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeployment of 20 Nigerian professors and lecturers to support academic development at UTG, UEG, CSU, and NAQAA for two-year period. Nigeria has provided over 500 NTAC volunteers since 2009.
• Organisation of Southern Cooperation (OSC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to establish first Interdisciplinary Research Centre in The Gambia as part of OSC's global research centre rollout. Also provides scholarship mobility schemes.
• European Union / Erasmus+majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerErasmus+ program engagement to boost Gambian participation in student/staff exchanges and institutional capacity building. EU Ambassador attended national engagement with university heads.
• AUDA-NEPADmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnical meetings on STI and R&D collaboration including Africa EdTech 2030 Vision launch. Mission engagement at MoHERST conference room.
• Africa Label Group (ALG)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on TVET Tracer Study targeting graduate cohorts 2018-2022 to evaluate employment outcomes and skills gaps.
• Kurubally ConstructionminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerContractor for USET Brikama Campus construction with one-year guarantee period following handover.
• West Africa Research Innovation Management Association (WARIMA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvided trainers for Research Management Training program for higher education institutions.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Ministry of Education, Ghana: West African ministry with a comparable mandate over tertiary education, TVET, and science innovation. Comparability via shared regional donor ecosystem (World Bank, etc.) and policy frameworks; differs by maturity and scale.
• Federal Ministry of Education, Nigeria: Larger, more established federal ministry overseeing higher education and TVET across Nigeria. Comparability via same government mandate for higher education, TVET, and research oversight; differs by scale and federal-state structure.

Others

• Association of African Universities (AAU): Continental association coordinating higher education and research policy across African institutions. Comparable because MoHERST is a named partner on the 53 ACE Impact Centre network and collaborates on USET engineering faculties.
• UNESCO International Institute for Higher Education in Latin America and the Caribbean (IESALC): UNESCO-affiliated higher education policy body supporting ministries on tertiary education reform. Comparable as multilateral partner to MoHERST (UNESCO NATCOM collaboration on research management training).

Direct peers

• Ministry of Technical and Higher Education, Sierra Leone: Small West African ministry with an analogous mandate for higher, technical, and vocational education. Directly comparable in jurisdiction size, donor dependency profile, and TVET transformation focus.
• Ministry of Education, Republic of Liberia: West African ministry with a similarly sized jurisdiction and donor-dependent higher education transformation mandate. Comparable in small-country public university reform model; differs by post-conflict context.

Regional players

• Ministry of Education, Republic of Rwanda: African ministry renowned for systemic education transformation and STEM/R&D prioritization. Comparable in the policy-led, results-contracted approach to higher education reform; differs by geography and significantly greater execution capacity.
• Ministère de l'Enseignement supérieur, de la Recherche et de l'Innovation, Senegal: Regional West African ministry with responsibility for higher education, research, and innovation. Comparable in tri-fold mandate (higher education + research + STI) and Francophone-African donor ties; differs by language and operating scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/moherstgambia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ministry-of-higher-education-research-science-and-technology

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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