University of Makeni

The University of Makeni (UNIMAK) is Sierra Leone's first private Catholic university, founded in 2005, serving over 5,000 students across three campuses with undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programs in eight faculties, supported by international academic and donor partnerships.

Company typePrivate
Founded2005
HeadquartersMakeni, Sierra Leone
Headcount101–250
GTM typeB2C
OfferingServices

What University of Makeni does

The University of Makeni (UNIMAK) is Sierra Leone's first private Catholic university, founded in 2005 and fully accredited in 2009, operating as a non-profit higher education institution under the ecclesiastical governance of the Diocese of Makeni. The university delivers undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programs across seven to eight faculties — Agriculture, Commerce and Management, Education, Law and Humanities, Nursing and Allied Health Sciences, Mass Communication and Computer Science, and Social Sciences — through three physical campuses: Fatima (Makeni, headquarters), Sylvanus Koroma (Yoni), and Saint John of God (Lunsar, in partnership with the Hospitaller Order of St John of God). Current enrollment is approximately 5,019 students supported by 147 full-time lecturers and 35 active courses, with a cumulative 3,148+ graduates and an 884-strong Class of 2026.

Beyond traditional academics, UNIMAK operates a portfolio of specialized platforms and research infrastructure. The UNIMAK E-Learning platform (unimaksl.education) provides distance education; the UniMak Workflow Innovation Hub (UWIH) is a tech-focused pre-seed/venture capital hub for health-sector startups; UNIMAK Live serves as both media outlet and training ground for journalism students; and the Infectious Diseases Research Laboratory (IDRL) at the Yoni campus — established with Wellcome Trust / international research partners — conducts real-time Ebola virus genome sequencing. Additional research centers include the Centre for Sierra Leone Studies, Centre for Political Formation, Centre of Excellence for Maternal Child Health Education, and the Institute of Inclusive Special Needs Education (ISNE).

The business model blends tuition and academic fees (undergraduate, postgraduate, doctoral, and short courses), grants and donations from international donors and foundations (notably the St. Lawrence Foundation of Italy as the largest contributor, plus EU-funded ENHANCE-GSL), and short-course/professional training revenue. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer through the unimak.edu.sl website, online application portal, admissions office, orientation programs, education weeks, and international exchange partnerships with universities across Europe (Italy, Spain, Netherlands, UK), West Africa (Ghana, Guinea), and the United States. Customer segments include domestic Sierra Leonean students (primary), international and exchange students, working professionals, and the broader Makeni community served through health and outreach programs.

University of Makeni firmographics

Firmographics

Name: University of Makeni
Legal name: University of Makeni
Website: https://unimak.edu.sl
Company type: Private
Founded year: 2005
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 101–250 employees
Short description: The University of Makeni (UNIMAK) is Sierra Leone's first private Catholic university, founded in 2005, serving over 5,000 students across three campuses with undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programs in eight faculties, supported by international academic and donor partnerships.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

University of Makeni industry classification

Industry

Product category: Higher Education
NAICS: Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)
akta.pro primary industry: Online Nonprofit Universities (EDAHALAK)

Keywords

Higher education programs
Undergraduate degree programs
Postgraduate education
Doctoral programs
University research

Where University of Makeni is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Makeni
HQ country: Sierra Leone

Offices4 records

Markets served

University of Makeni business model

Business model

GTM type: B2C
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

Tuition and Academic Fees: Students pay tuition fees for undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programs. Fee structure is published annually with specific fees for different programs and levels.
Grants and Donations: Funding received from international donors, foundations, and government programs for specific projects and initiatives
Short Courses and Professional Training: Revenue from offering short courses including Law for Businesses, Law for NGOs, Primary Health Care, Counselling Psychology, and other professional development programs

Pricing tiers

Model	Billing	Price
Subscription	Annual	Undergraduate Programs
Subscription	Annual	Postgraduate Programs
One time/ perpetual license	Multi-year contract	Short Courses and Certificates

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

University of Makeni product offering

Product offering

Core offering

University of Makeni is a private Catholic university in Sierra Leone, founded in 2005 and accredited in 2009. It delivers undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral degree programs across eight faculties, serving more than 5,000 enrolled students and having produced over 3,148 graduates. The institution operates on multiple campuses within Sierra Leone and functions as a nonprofit educational provider.

Product overview

The University of Makeni (UNIMAK) is Sierra Leone's first private Catholic university, offering a comprehensive educational portfolio across undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral levels through seven faculties. Beyond traditional academics, UNIMAK operates several specialized platforms and centers including UNIMAK E-Learning (digital education), UNIMAK Workflow Innovation Hub (tech venture capital for startups), UNIMAK Live (online media), and the Infectious Diseases Research Laboratory. The institution also hosts specialized research centers including the Centre for Sierra Leone Studies, Centre for Political Formation, and Centre of Excellence for Maternal Child Health Education, along with the UNIMAK Institute of Inclusive Special Needs Education for teacher certification.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

Undergraduate Degree Programs Undergraduate degree programs delivered across eight faculties, intended for students in Sierra Leone seeking accredited bachelor's-level higher education at a Catholic institution.
Postgraduate Degree Programs Postgraduate master's-level degree programs offered through the university's faculty structure, aimed at graduates seeking advanced qualifications in Sierra Leone.
Doctoral Programs Doctoral (PhD-level) research programs available at the university, providing the highest tier of academic qualification within its course catalog.

Quantifiable outcome

884 graduates celebrated at 2026 convocation
+2 more outcomes

Companies that use University of Makeni

Customer profile

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

University of Makeni technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

University of Makeni partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, emerging, major and minor.

University of Groningen, NetherlandscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 October 2025Ongoing partnership involving qualitative research methods training, NOHA master's program collaboration, and discussions on joint research programs in renewable energy, public health, governance, and climate resilience. Ambassador Philip Bob Jusu is an alumnus of their NOHA program.
University of Global Health Equity (UGHE)emergingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 October 2025HR Director visited UGHE office in Kigali for discussions on potential partnerships in Nursing, Public Health, and Clinical Psychology departments.
Ministry of Health, Sierra LeonecoreOthers · 17 October 2025Department of Nursing signed MOU to upscale 41 State Enrolled Community Health Nurses to State Registered Nurses. Only non-government university considered for this Global Fund-sponsored program.
University of Bologna, ItalycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 October 2025Collaboration with Faculty of Pure Science and Public Health Department to enhance academic offerings. Professor Stefano Severi from the university visited to assist in developing curricula, noting UNIMAK's dynamic academic core and potential to become a regional leader in applied science and health education.
University of Notre DamecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2025PAMOJA summit collaboration bringing together 22 African partners for cross-disciplinary engagement in research, teaching, and community outreach. UNIMAK represented at planning meeting in Kigali.
Dr. Jewel Howard Taylor (Former Vice President of Liberia)emergingOthers · 1 October 2025Scholarship opportunity secured for female students through Africa-wide scholarship scheme. Partnership being finalized for inclusion of UNIMAK students.
Cuban InstitutionsemergingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 August 2025Exploratory discussions with Cuban Ambassador Norma Sanchez Aguila on potential collaborations in health sciences and engineering. Both parties expressed optimism for future partnerships.
SUCCEED Sierra LeonecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 April 2021Support, Comprehensive Care and Empowerment for people with Psychosocial Disabilities in Sub-Saharan Africa. UNIMAK hosts the program with local advisory group and staff. Focuses on mental health support and research.
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), GhanamajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 December 2018Memorandum of Understanding signed for academic collaboration. Teams have exchanged visits to strengthen ties between the two institutions.
King Mo. Roi 6th University, Republic of GuineamajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 January 2018First bilateral agreement in the West African Sub Region and Mano River Union since UNIMAK's establishment. Facilitates student and staff exchanges - Guinean students learn English at UNIMAK while UNIMAK students learn French in Guinea. First MoU of its kind for UNIMAK.
State University of New YorkminorOthers · 1 January 2018Donated textbooks in various disciplines through a former student.
Rondine International Peace Lab, ItalymajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Association has worked with UNIMAK since 2003. Supports democratic and peaceful elections initiatives, peace building training, and has facilitated 9 Sierra Leonean students to complete Masters degrees in Italian universities.
San Pablo University (CEU) Madrid, SpaincoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 January 2016Long-standing partnership involving collaborative urban planning projects for Makeni city. Multiple delegations exchanged visits, with Spanish teams working with UNIMAK and Makeni City Council on strategic urban development plans. Partnership includes student exchanges and academic program development.
Wellcome Trust / International Research TeamcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 January 2016Collaborated on Ebola virus genome sequencing research. Sequencing facility established at UNIMAK now forms focal point of Infectious Disease Research Laboratory with world-class training capabilities.
University of Sheffield, UKcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Ties being strengthened in three ways as part of ongoing collaboration with UK universities.

Scale indicators7 records

University of Makeni competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Broad incumbents

University of Notre Dame: Top-tier US Catholic research university and an active PAMOJA summit partner of UNIMAK. Closest analog for the values-led, faith-based academic positioning that UNIMAK aspires to at international partnership level.
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST): Ghana's premier STEM and applied research university and a strategic MoU partner of UNIMAK. Comparable in applied research and doctoral training ambitions, with deeper scale and broader regional brand recognition.

Direct peers

Ashesi University: Private nonprofit liberal arts university in Ghana with a comparable mission-driven ethos, four-year residential model, and pan-African recruitment focus. Closest analog for UNIMAK's positioning as a values-led private nonprofit on the continent.
Njala University: Second major public university in Sierra Leone with a multi-campus model (Bo, Freetown) and broad agricultural, education, and social science faculties. Competes for the same domestic applicant pool and offers comparable undergraduate-to-postgraduate pathways.
LIMKOKWING University of Creative Technology: Private international university with a Sierra Leone campus focused on creative technology and design. Competes for the same private-paying student segment in Freetown and overlaps with UNIMAK's Mass Communication and Computer Science faculties.
University of Sierra Leone: Sierra Leone's flagship public university system (Fourah Bay College, Connaught, IPAM) located in Freetown. Direct competitor for domestic students and the principal benchmark for academic reputation in the same national market.
Ernest Bai Koroma University of Science and Technology: Public STEM-oriented university in Sierra Leone founded more recently; competes for science and technology students in the same domestic market where UNIMAK's Computer Science and Nursing faculties operate.

Emerging players

African Leadership University: Pan-African network of private universities (Mauritius, Rwanda) with multi-campus, technology-enabled delivery and a leadership-focused curriculum. Competes for the same regional English-speaking student segment that UNIMAK's exchange programs target.

Regional players

University for Development Studies (UDS): Public university in Northern Ghana with development-oriented faculties and a multi-campus regional access model. The closest regional public-sector analog to UNIMAK's Northern Province focus and applied development agenda.
Catholic University of Eastern Africa: Multi-campus Catholic university headquartered in Nairobi serving Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. Closest peer for UNIMAK's faith-based multi-campus African university model and Catholic mission-based positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

University of Makeni financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

University of Makeni leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

University of Makeni funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

University of Makeni M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about University of Makeni

What does University of Makeni do?

Is University of Makeni a public or private company?

University of Makeni is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.

When was University of Makeni founded?

University of Makeni was founded in 2005. It employs 101 to 250 people.

Where is University of Makeni based?

University of Makeni is headquartered in Makeni, Sierra Leone.

How does University of Makeni make money?

Three revenue lines are on record. Tuition and Academic Fees are the primary driver. The others are grants and Donations and short Courses and Professional Training.

Who are University of Makeni's main competitors?

Broad incumbents on record are University of Notre Dame and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). Direct peers are Ashesi University, Njala University, LIMKOKWING University of Creative Technology, University of Sierra Leone and Ernest Bai Koroma University of Science and Technology. African Leadership University is listed as an emerging player. Regional players are University for Development Studies (UDS) and Catholic University of Eastern Africa.

Does University of Makeni have an API?

No public API is recorded for University of Makeni.

What industry is University of Makeni in?

University of Makeni's product category is Higher Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAHALAK, Online Nonprofit Universities. Its NAICS code is 6113.