MONROVIA – Liberia’s Permanent Representative to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Robert Wilmot Kpadeh, has hailed President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s recent dedication of two newly constructed senior secondary schools in Bong and Nimba Counties, describing the initiative as a defining legacy of visionary leadership.
“This is what we call bringing dignity to the people of Liberia,” Kpadeh wrote in a public statement on Tuesday, July 22, 2025. “Projects like these are described in development studies as ‘legacy projects’ because they substantially impact the lives of the people for the long haul.” He added that such developments under President Boakai’s leadership signal that “a lot of goodies are coming the way of the Liberian people with time.”
President Boakai officially inaugurated the new school facilities in Gbarnga, Bong County, and Ganta, Nimba County on Monday, July 21, 2025. The construction was spearheaded by the Ministry of Education with funding and technical support from the World Bank under the Improving Results in Secondary Education (IRISE) Project.
Each of the new campuses is equipped with fully furnished classrooms, science and computer laboratories, gender-sensitive restrooms, clean water systems, administrative offices, and recreational spaces, all built to meet modern educational standards. A third senior secondary school is nearing completion in Kakata, Margibi County and is expected to be dedicated later this year.
The US$47 million IRISE Project is part of the government’s broader strategy to address inequalities in access to quality secondary education, particularly in underserved rural areas. Designed in response to a 2019 concept note and a 2021 school grant manual developed by the Ministry of Education, the initiative aims to expand equitable access to senior secondary education and improve learning outcomes across the country.
The project was born out of alarming national data highlighting critical gaps in the education system, including the lack of qualified teachers in core subjects like Math, English, and Science, and widespread infrastructural decay. One of its key goals is reversing high dropout rates among adolescent girls, who often face significant social and economic barriers after grade nine.
A distinctive feature of the IRISE initiative is its hybrid financing model that combines traditional investment with results-based disbursements tied to measurable outcomes known as Disbursement-Linked Indicators (DLIs). This model holds both schools and local administrators accountable for performance and results.
In addition to the three newly built senior secondary schools, 23 junior secondary schools are being expanded to include senior-level classrooms, libraries, science labs, and modern sanitation facilities. All construction is aligned with the National School Infrastructure Strategy (NSIS) and is being implemented in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Works to ensure long-term quality and sustainability.
As Robert Wilmot Kpadeh emphasized, these educational investments represent more than infrastructure, they are foundational to national progress. “Under the visionary leadership of JNB, great things will happen for Liberia,” he declared. “May God bless our homeland.”
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