Monrovia, Liberia – The Ministry of Finance and Development Planning’s Deputy Finance and Development Planning Minister for Administration, Hon. Bill McGill Jones, has urged the Legislature to pass laws establishing the National Service Program (NSP).
The National Service Program, which was introduced in Paynesville on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, is a government-sponsored program run by the Ministry of Youth and Sports that aims to empower women and youth through organized service, skill-building, and civic involvement.
The NSP is a flagship initiative to match Liberia’s youth development plan with its national goals for peace, unity, and progress. It operates in over ten counties and has ten thematic pillars.
The NSP is a bold and strategic program designed to give young people nationwide significant experience in public service prior to joining the Civil Service, according to Deputy Finance Minister McGill Jones.
Deputy Finance Minister McGill Jones made it clear that the NSP is not just for young people but also needs to be led by them when he formally launched it on behalf of Finance and Development Planning Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan.
“You are not the leaders of tomorrow. You are the leaders of today. The builders of today. The changemakers of today. Liberia cannot afford to keep you on the sidelines. Your time is now,” he said.
He also stressed the program’s strong focus on gender inclusion, especially the empowerment of women and girls. “Your voice, ideas, and leadership are needed in any field, whether it’s agriculture, education, health, or leadership. With this program, Liberian women and girls are affirmed as equal citizens.”
Hon. McGill Jones called for the media, development partners, ministries, agencies, and civil society groups to support the initiative. He proposed a comprehensive plan for society and government to guarantee that the NSP becomes a viable model for the country’s development.
“Let the National Service Program’s beginning serve as the catalyst that sparks a fire of civic duty and patriotic action within the hearts of all young Liberians,” he said.
Deputy Finance Minister McGill Jones stressed that the NSP is a response to one of the biggest possibilities in Liberia’s history, rather than a crisis, given that more than 60% of the country’s population is under 25.
In his earlier remarks, Cllr. Jeror Cole Bangalu, Minister of Youth and Sports, emphasized that the National Service Program is intended to support and guarantee the growth and self-determination of youth.
He called the National Service Program the “lifeblood of the government’s development agenda” and commended President Joseph Nyumah Boakai for his dedication for improving the lives of Liberia’s young people.
On behalf of the UN, Her Excellency Christine Umutoni, the UN Resident Coordinator, congratulated the Ministry of Youth and Sports on the National Youth Service Program’s launch.
She described the NYS as a transformative program that aims to change the youth who make up the majority of the population. The National Service Program is one of the common objectives for accomplishing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), according to Madam Umutoni.
At the formal opening, Project Coordinator Mr. F. Alphonso Y. Belleh II declared, “The National Service Program is not just another initiative but instead, it is a promise to invest in the youth, expand opportunity, and ensure that no Liberian is left behind.”
“This program aims to empower women and young people through professional development, education, entrepreneurship, and vocational training, with a target of 25,000 beneficiaries over five years.”
Mr. Belleh emphasized that “such investment is not just a contribution, it is a bold statement of solidarity with Liberia’s most vulnerable” and urged the government, partners, and business sector to provide ongoing support.
Several Heads of Government Ministries and Agencies, leaders of youth and student organizations, and dozens of young Liberians from all around the nation attended the inaugural event.
The National Youth Service program, is designed to empower more than 20,000 youth and women across over ten counties through a comprehensive, ten-part framework. Key components include community service, vocational training, mentorship, civic education, sanitation, and literacy programs.
