By Lewis S. Teh
Monrovia, May 20, 2026 – The Government of Liberia has unveiled the Liberia National Student Economic Hub (LNESH), a new initiative aimed at training over 500 university students in fiscal and monetary policy to prepare them for impactful roles in public service.
Finance and Development Planning Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan officially launched LNESH, describing it as evidence that students can move beyond theory and apply economic knowledge to real-world national challenges.
“This Liberia National Economic Student Hub is proving that they really know the book,” he remarked during the launch event.
Ngafuan emphasized that the government is investing in both physical and soft infrastructure. “We have to prepare the capacity of men and women,” he told the gathering of students. LNESH will engage students from universities nationwide in policy processes through dialogues, policy forums, seminars, and inter-university debates.
The hub is set to produce policy briefs, fact sheets, and macroeconomic analyses grounded in national data. “This effort will build a pipeline of future economists, researchers, and policy professionals who can contribute meaningfully to Liberia’s development agenda,” Ngafuan said.
The LNESH launch coincides with preparations for 1,100 young people to begin a six-month cadet program on June 1 across government institutions, the private sector, and partners, including the United Nations.
Ngafuan likened both initiatives to recruiting for different “armies” in the nation-building effort. “The government will recruit people who will hold guns. The government is recruiting people who will hold pens,” he said, stressing the dual importance of security and policy work.
He urged cadets and hub participants to be prepared for both challenges: “If the time comes for battle cries, we’ll shout the battle cries. But when the time comes to produce a paper or a policy brief, we don’t want them to be running and waiting. They should be advancing.”
Ngafuan announced plans for a personal mentorship program and expanded internship opportunities at the Ministry of Finance.
He also revealed that the cadet program is now a permanent part of the national budget and will expand beyond Monrovia to reach students at LUMS University, Lofa University, Bonglia University, Tubman University, and others.
“We operate on multiple levels,” he said. “We remain committed to this. We invest in this. We ask partners to support us in this. Because by doing this, we are preparing a better Liberia. We are preparing the future of this country.”
With that, Minister Ngafuan officially launched the Liberia National Student Economic Hub, affirming his commitment to help polish “rock diamonds” so they can shine for Liberia.
