Liberia’s Presidential Press Secretary, Atty. Kula B.N. Fofana says the Revised National Youth Policy & Action Plan must be transformation-grounded in data, aligned with international best practices, and integrated into national development planning frameworks, including the ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development and the commitments under the African Youth Charter, African Union’s Agenda 2063, and Sustainable Development Goals.
Speaking Monday, May 5, 2025, at the Youth Summit on the Revised National Youth Policy and Action Plan in Grand Cape Mount County, Atty. Kula stated, “So, let us set clear benchmarks. Let us establish mechanisms for monitoring and accountability. Let us ensure that youth themselves are co-owners of the implementation process—tracking progress, flagging gaps, and shaping solutions.”
Kula, also the Press Secretary for the Boakai-Koon leadership, acknowledged national and international partners for standing with Liberia in strengthening the youth development system.
According to her, the efforts and support of those partners are critical, stating that their collaboration will continue to help ensure that the policy becomes a model of excellence on the African continent.
Speaking under the theme “Vision to Action: A Youth Policy for Sustainable and Inclusive Development,” Liberia’s Presidential Press Secretary also called on youth not to wait for permission to lead and not to underestimate the impact of their voice. “Organize. Mobilize. Innovate. Hold your leaders accountable. But also be ready to lead with integrity when your time comes—and it will,’ she stated.
Atty. Fofana cautioned youth not to leave the conference with a revised document, but with a renewed determination to act, to turn vision into action, ideas into policies, and hope into tangible change. She said the present generation needs pandemic responses, using creativity to raise awareness.
“This is the generation that is building businesses, organizing communities, defending democracy, and holding institutions accountable. This is the generation refusing to be silenced or sidelined,” Atty. Fofana added.
Liberia’s Presidential Press Secretary explained that for the generation to rise to its fullest potential, the country must rise with it.
She added that the event is not just an administrative event, but a milestone in the national conversation about youth empowerment, an opportunity to reimagine the role of young people in shaping the destiny of our Republic.
“This moment challenges us to move beyond slogans. “Youth empowerment” must no longer be a ceremonial phrase. It must become a structural commitment,” Madam Fofana said. According to her, it requires real investments in education, not just schooling, but learning that prepares our youth for the demands of the 21st-century economy.
