Monrovia, Liberia – In its 2026 draft national budget, the Liberian government, through the Ministry of Youth and Sports, has requested a staggering US$1,074,058 for the national football team (THE LONE STAR). The proposal leaves many sports stakeholders both optimistic and doubtful.
Compared to last year’s US$550,000, the allocation represents a nearly 100% increase, suggesting that the Boakai-Koung administration has reaffirmed its commitment to funding sports. However, history, as always, presents a different picture.
The ministry faced harsh public criticism in 2024 after its football budget was drastically reduced from US$150,000 to US$50,000 in its first draft. Social media criticism was fast and harsh. Before the budget was approved, MPs had to raise the amount to US$550,000 due to criticism that the ministry was incompetent and careless.
For Liberia’s athletic programs, this pattern of large draft allocations followed by incomplete or delayed releases has been a constant nightmare. Budget statements are now seen by many in the industry with a mixture of mistrust and hope.
In addition to football, the US$1.2 billion national draft budget includes a little increase in grassroots sports development from US$1,230 to US$3,739. However, experts claim that the amount is insufficient to support a single national youth competition for a nation with more than five million citizens.
Additionally, an increase from US$5,000 in 2025 to US$22,720 in 2026 is anticipated to help the Liberia Basketball Federation, which has struggled to send teams to international games due to lack of funding. Analysts assert that the real issues are implementation and accountability, despite the figures appearing impressive. The General Auditing Commission (GAC) has consistently chastised the Ministry of Youth and Sports for poor budget management and opaque project execution.
Many allotments for sports programs are either lost or turned into administrative expenses, according to investigators, who argue that the Ministry routinely fails to reveal actual spending.
Credit: Christopher Walker
