Ministry of Youth and Sports Celebrates International Youth Day and Relaunches YouthConnekt Liberia

Ministry of Youth and Sports Celebrates International Youth Day and Relaunches YouthConnekt Liberia

Paynesville, Liberia, August 12, 2026 — The Ministry of Youth and Sports has commemorated International Youth Day 2026 with a renewed call for greater investment in Liberia’s young people and the official relaunch of YouthConnekt Liberia.

The celebration was held under the theme, “Unified Knowledge, Shared Futures: Liberians Innovating through Digital Partners,” and brought together government officials, development partners, youth leaders, civil society representatives, and young Liberians.

Making a special statement to the  young people, Minister of Youth and Sports, Atty. Cornelia W. Kruah, underscored Liberia’s youthful population, noting that approximately three out of every four Liberians are below the age of 35.

Minister Kruah challenged young people to recognize the responsibility that comes with this demographic reality, emphasizing that Liberia’s future will largely be determined by the decisions made by the current generation.

“Whatever Liberia becomes in the next 20 years, it becomes because of the decisions that we make and that are made by people in this room,” Minister Kruah said.

She urged young people to reject the notion that they must wait for another generation to lead the country, stressing that they are already active participants in Liberia’s development.

“You are not the future of this country. You are the current, the present. You are Liberia,” she emphasized.

Minister Kruah also described International Youth Day as an opportunity for reflection, accountability, and renewed commitment, challenging government and stakeholders to assess whether sufficient investments are being made in the majority-young population.

She called for youth priorities to be deliberately integrated into national planning, budgeting, legislation, and other major government decisions. She warned that failure to create meaningful opportunities for talented young Liberians could result in wasted potential and the loss of valuable human resources.

Delivering the keynote address, CEO of GONET Academy, Mohammed Kerkulah, called for a shift from short-term youth interventions to sustainable pathways that connect young people to education, skills development, employment, entrepreneurship, technology, and other opportunities.

Kerkulah noted that Liberia is not short of talented, creative, and ambitious young people, but lacks sufficient systems to connect their potential to meaningful and sustainable opportunities.

He highlighted the difficulties faced by graduates seeking employment, as well as the challenges confronting young entrepreneurs, including limited access to capital, mentorship, markets, and business support.

He urged stakeholders to move “from youth programs to youth pathways,” stressing that workshops, certificates, grants, and competitions should serve as entry points to sustainable opportunities rather than ending when individual programs conclude.

During the program,  Ambassador Aliou Mamadou Dia,  UNDP Liberia Country Representative, officially launched YouthConnekt Liberia, emphasizing the importance of investing in young people and creating platforms that transform their ideas, talents, and aspirations into tangible opportunities.

Amb. Dia called for stronger partnerships among government, development partners, the private sector, civil society, and young people. He noted that YouthConnekt will provide platforms to connect young Liberians to opportunities in entrepreneurship, employment, innovation, leadership, digital skills, and civic engagement.

Representing the UN Resident Coordinator, Christine Mutoni, and UNFPA, Dr. Mady Biaye commended the Government of Liberia for prioritizing young people as a central component of national development.

Delivering a message from UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Dr. Biaye highlighted young people’s aspirations for dignity, meaningful participation, and opportunity, while recognizing the challenges they face, including economic uncertainty, digital exclusion, and climate change.

Speaking on behalf of the Minister of State for Presidential Affairs, Hon. Bill McGill Jones, thanked the Ministry of Youth and Sports, development partners, and young people for their involvement in advancing youth development initiatives. He said their collective efforts had contributed to the National Youth Program, a shift in approach to youth development and the creation of new opportunities for young Liberians.

Hon. Jones said International Youth Day provides an opportunity to reflect on where Liberia has come from, where it is today and where it is heading, particularly in relation to young people.

He highlighted the government’s efforts to create awareness and opportunities while promoting youth-led action through initiatives such as the Pathway Program. He said President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s administration remains committed to creating opportunities, promoting self-sufficiency and ensuring that young people take ownership of their future.

According to Deputy Minister  Jones, the President has entrusted young people with responsibilities in government and expects them to help lead the change they want to see. He encouraged young Liberians to prepare themselves, take ownership of their destiny and become active contributors to national development.

He further stressed the importance of bringing young people, the middle-aged and older generations together to find solutions to national challenges.

“Gone are the days when people said young people were unclean. Today, we are solution finders, we are decision-makers, and we are deciding the destiny of our fate,” Jones said.

Meanwhile, LTA Commissioner Clarence Massaquoi praised the Ministry of Youth and Sports for advancing youth development beyond political interests, consistent with President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s message that government is for all Liberians.

Commissioner Massaquoi emphasized that young people must be recognized as leaders of today, calling for sustained investment in education, skills development, technology, and employment beyond the annual observance of International Youth Day.

On digital inclusion, Commissioner Massaquoi disclosed that the Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA), in partnership with the Ministry of Education, has connected 88 of 156 targeted public high schools to high-speed internet as Liberia works toward connecting every public school by 2030.

He further announced a partnership between the LTA and the Ministry of Youth and Sports to establish digital hubs across all 15 counties. The first-year initiative is expected to benefit approximately 750 young people through improved access to technology, digital skills, and economic opportunities.

The celebration of International Youth Day and the relaunch of YouthConnekt Liberia reaffirmed a shared commitment among government, development partners, the private sector, civil society, and young people to build stronger and more sustainable pathways for Liberia’s youth.

The Ministry of Youth and Sports emphasized that Liberia’s young people are not merely beneficiaries of national development, they are partners, innovators, entrepreneurs, leaders, and drivers of the country’s future today.