Monrovia, Liberia – President Joseph Nyuma Boakai has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to transforming higher education in Liberia.
By Willie Tokpah
The message came through Dr. Augustine Konneh, Senior Advisor to the President, who spoke on President Boakai’s behalf during the groundbreaking ceremony for the new headquarters of the National Commission on Higher Education (NCHE), held on the Fendell Campus of the University of Liberia.
Calling the ceremony “a significant milestone in our nation’s pursuit of academic excellence and socio-economic development,” Dr. Konneh emphasized the administration’s focus on human capital development as a cornerstone of the President’s ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development.
“I do not always attend groundbreaking ceremonies; I rather attend dedication ceremonies,” President Boakai said through Dr. Konneh, suggesting confidence in the timely completion of the NCHE project and signaling the administration’s seriousness in delivering results.
The President, through a proxy, expressed concern over the proliferation of tertiary institutions in Liberia that fall below acceptable standards. “Our youth need quality education to meet upcoming challenges,” he warned, urging the NCHE to reassess its accreditation processes and maintain strict oversight of colleges and universities.
President Boakai also committed to sustained financial backing for the NCHE to enable it to fulfill its regulatory and monitoring mandate. “We must invest in our education system and empower the NCHE to effectively regulate and monitor higher education institutions,” he said.
Also speaking at the ceremony, Dr. Layli Maparyan, President of the University of Liberia, delivered a forward-looking message, underscoring the potential of the Fendell Campus to become a vibrant center of learning and innovation.
“Some may look at this land and see only its current state, undeveloped, vast, and underutilized,” she said. “But I wake up every day imagining a thriving educational and research hub that contributes meaningfully to national development.”
She stressed the importance of strong partnerships between the university, the Ministry of Education, and both local and international stakeholders in transforming that vision into reality.
NCHE Executive Director, whose reappointment by President Boakai in 2024 signaled confidence in his leadership, delivered an emotional reflection on the journey to the groundbreaking.
“This moment is a dream come true,” he said, recalling the substandard working conditions the Commission faced when he first took office. “How can the NCHE inspect university facilities across the country when the facilities of the Commission itself are substandard?”
He credited a 2021 visit to Ghana’s tertiary education secretariat as the inspiration behind his push for a modern headquarters. That vision became reality when the University of Liberia donated two acres of land at Fendell for the project.
“We highly appreciate this kind gesture,” he said, acknowledging the contributions of both past and current UL leadership.
With an initial allocation of $700,000 from the 2024/2025 national budget—secured through the advocacy of Senate Budget Committee Chair Senator Prince Kermue Moye — the NCHE is now set to begin construction of a modern, three-story headquarters.
The building will feature a conference hall, administrative offices, and guesthouses, and is projected to cost $3.5 million upon completion by 2028.
The Executive Director called on international donors, local stakeholders, and all patriotic Liberians to support the endeavor. “Nobody will build Liberia for us except ourselves,” he said passionately.
He closed his remarks with a timeless quote from American statesman Benjamin Franklin: “If you don’t want to be forgotten when you die, either do something worth writing about or write something worth reading.”
“Our actions today,” he said, “will define the future of higher education in this country.”
The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by education stakeholders, government officials, and development partners, all of whom expressed optimism about the future of higher education in Liberia.
