Monrovia, Liberia—The Liberia National Economic Student Hub (LNESH), a new project to put youth at the heart of national economic policy and development talks, was launched by the government of Liberia through the minister of finance. The launch, which took place at the University of Liberia on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, with the theme “Collaborating for Solutions: Youth Perspectives on Liberia’s Economic Future,” brought professors, students, and government representatives together to talk about how young people are influencing Liberia’s economic future.
Speaking at the event, Henry F. Saamoi, executive governor of the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL), said that rather than being a problem, Liberia’s young population is one of the nation’s biggest economic assets. “More than 60 percent of Liberia’s population is under the age of 35. Our youth must not only be seen as future leaders but as present contributors to economic policy, innovation, entrepreneurship, and national development,” he added.
According to the head of CBL, the recently established student center will offer a forum for youth to discuss concepts, contest laws, and contribute to the creation of workable economic solutions for Liberia. Saamoi also underlined the significance of digital innovation, financial inclusion, and the mobilization of domestic resources, pointing out that the Central Bank is putting reforms into place to improve payment systems and increase the availability of digital financial services nationwide.
“We are committed to building a more inclusive and technologically driven financial system that supports sustainable growth and opportunity creation,” he stated.
The central bank governor further urged students to see themselves as active participants in national transformation. “Your ideas matter, your voices matter, and your engagement today can help shape policies that will define Liberia’s economic trajectory for years to come,” he narrated.
Also speaking at the event, Liberia’s Finance Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan reflected on his days as a student leader at the University of Liberia during the difficult years of the 1990s, describing education and intellectual engagement as powerful tools for national change. “At that time, if we succeeded in going to school for one semester, we considered ourselves lucky. We were challenged; many of us were indigent, but we clung to something called hope,” the minister said.
At the same time, he encouraged students to seek knowledge beyond classrooms and social media arguments, warning against what he described as growing “toxicity” in national discourse. “There are a lot of women in the discourse today. Some young people are practicing how to survive a battle cry instead of preparing themselves to lead Liberia’s future,” the minister noted.
However, Ngafuan stated that through seminars, policy discussions, and university debates, the LNESH program aims to introduce students to monetary and fiscal policy processes. He said the cluster intends to train over 500 students to provide economic studies based on national statistics and policy briefs. “This is a recruitment exercise. Army people recruit people to carry guns, but here we are recruiting young people to carry ideas and policies.”
Additionally, he emphasized the government’s continuous efforts to empower youth through capacity-building and infrastructure development programs, such as the recently established national cadet program, which is anticipated to place over 1,100 young Liberians in public and private institutions for real-world work experience.
Reported by: Prince Saah
