By Socrates Smythe Saywon
Liberia continues to struggle with questions over government spending as President Joseph Boakai’s diplomatic mission to Japan attracts criticism. Reports indicate that a total of US$7,996,540 has been spent on foreign travels and daily subsistence allowances (DSA) from FY2024–2025, raising concerns about fiscal priorities given Liberia’s ongoing economic challenges.
Martin Kollie, a Liberian exile activist and political commentator, voiced these concerns during a Spoon Talk broadcast on Sunday, August 17, 2025. He argued that the lavish spending on a delegation of 23 senior government officials, lawmakers, and business leaders is unjustifiable when thousands of Liberian youths remain unemployed. He questioned the rationale for President Boakai traveling with 15 advisors, asking, “Who is advising him?” Kollie emphasized the deteriorating state of national institutions, including the University of Liberia, where staff reportedly have gone unpaid for eight months.
The delegation accompanying President Boakai includes ministers such as Hon. Sara Beysolow Nyanti (Foreign Affairs), Hon. Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan (Finance and Development Planning), and Hon. Wilmot J.M. Paye (Mines and Energy), among others. The entourage also comprises multiple ambassadors, special envoys, and presidential advisors. Their participation in the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD-9) and Expo 2025 in Japan is framed as an opportunity to enhance policy dialogue, trade, investment, and global partnerships for Liberia. Yet critics argue that the cost of nearly $8 million far outweighs tangible benefits for citizens struggling with basic economic and social needs.
Kollie’s critique highlights the tension between high-level international engagements and unmet domestic needs. While foreign travel and diplomacy can raise Liberia’s global profile, spending millions while institutions crumble presents a troubling image. The Vanguard Student Unification Party (SUP) at the University of Liberia has also demanded urgent renovation of the university, giving the government a two-month deadline, or threatening to halt Capitol Building renovations. This underscores growing frustration among young Liberians at the government’s perceived neglect of education infrastructure.
The debate extends to governance, transparency, and prioritization. Despite rhetoric emphasizing reform, skepticism remains regarding the Boakai administration’s commitment to addressing domestic challenges. Martin Kollie’s observations reflect widespread public sentiment questioning whether diplomatic representation abroad should come at the expense of essential services at home. Issues such as unpaid university staff, youth unemployment, and infrastructural decay illustrate the pressing need for more effective leadership.
This scenario also raises questions about accountability for public funds. Are allocations for foreign trips and DSA monitored effectively, and are outcomes of these missions assessed against their cost? Without transparent reporting and measurable outcomes, such expenditures risk being perceived as indulgent rather than strategically beneficial. The administration’s comparisons of its performance to previous governments, as noted by Kollie, appear to divert attention from these governance gaps, further feeding public disillusionment.
Liberia now faces a critical choice, continue the pattern of expensive foreign engagements with limited domestic impact, or recalibrate priorities to ensure that governance benefits such as functional education, economic opportunity, and public infrastructure reach citizens.
President Boakai’s Japan trip is not inherently problematic, as international engagement is an essential function of statecraft. However, balance is key. When nearly $8 million is spent on travel and allowances while critical domestic institutions falter, concerns of judgment and governance arise. Liberia’s leaders must prove that they can pursue global partnerships without neglecting citizens’ urgent needs, a vital test of leadership and credibility that the nation cannot afford to ignore.
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