Samba Sowe - Director of Science Technology and Innovation

Mr. Samba Sowe obtained a BSc Degree in Biology (Major) and Public Health (minor) at The University of The Gambia in 2011, and holds a Master’s Degree in Intellectual Property (focusing on Technology Transfer) at the Africa University in Zimbabwe in 2015. He is currently a Final Year PhD Student in Entrepreneurship Studies with De’ Montfort University in Leicester, United Kingdom.

Mr. Sowe joined the Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology (MoHERST) in 2012. Prior to his current position as Director of Science, Technology, and Innovation at the Ministry, he has served in various designations at the level of Directorate of Science, Technology, and Innovation. Amongst these are Science, Technology and Innovation Officer, Senior Science, Technology and Innovation Officer and Principal Science, Technology, and Innovation Officer. Rising through these ranks, gave him the requisite knowledge, experience, skills, and competencies relevant to the position.

Mr. Sowe during his career has attended and coordinated a series of capacity building trainings in Science, Technology, and Innovation in-country and abroad all aimed at enhancing capacities towards the administration and coordination of STI activities in The Gambia.
Under his Directorate, he supervises and oversees the implementation of the National Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy (2015 – 2024) and related matters in The Gambia, providing and facilitating support to governmental sectors, private sector, civil society, and inter-governmental agencies in the field of Science, Technology, and Innovation. Key strategic intervention towards this is the Directorate’s push for the establishment of a National Research and Innovation Fund for utilization by researchers, innovators, entrepreneurs, and start-ups.

The Directorate manages all inter-governmental institutions requests in terms of data needs and reporting relative to STI in The Gambia. And supports the capacity building of STEM personnel and institutional capacities. Linked to this is the continued policy and programme guidance support to the public and private sectors including civil societies towards assimilating and adopting ICT.

Over the past years, the Directorate is playing a central role in the establishment of the University of Applied Sciences, Engineering and Technology (USET) as well as institutionalizing innovation and entrepreneurship hubs as well as ensuring the development and implementation of an innovation and entrepreneurship curricula for use by the sector. This curriculum delivery approach and corresponding structures (hubs) will be replicated in all TVET institutions in The Gambia.
Mr. Sowe is also a member of the National Intellectual Property Council (NIPC) and the National Focal Point of the World Bank funded ACE Impact Project in The Gambia.
At the academic front, Mr. Sowe has published three articles as part of his PhD and towards complimenting the current tertiary and higher education transformation agenda of MoHERST, links found below:

1. A Critical Review of the Demola Framework and Its Applicability in a Low-Income Economy: A Case Study of The Gambia (https://ejtas.com/index.php/journal/article/view/256/214);
2. Innovation and Entrepreneurship Education: A New Curriculum Paradigm in the Gambia (European Journal of Theoretical and Applied Sciences (ejtas.com); and,
3. Promoting Research and Innovation Funding as a Catalyst for Socio-Economic Development: Perspectives from The Gambia (https://ejceel.com/index.php/journal/article/view/48/32).