The Government of Liberia, through the Minister of Finance and Development Planning, has reaffirmed its commitment to rebuilding and professionalizing the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL), backing its pledge with a US$20.7 million allocation in the FY2026 national budget.
Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan, speaking on behalf of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai on Monday, December 29, 2025, during the commissioning of 56 new officers at the Barclay Training Center (BTC) in Monrovia, said that the event symbolized a deliberate and disciplined restoration of Liberia’s national security institutions. “This is not just a graduation,” Ngafuan told the newly commissioned officers. “It is evidence that Liberia is quietly, deliberately, and with discipline rebuilding its institutions.”
The ceremony drew senior government officials, legislators, national security chiefs, AFL high command, and families of the graduates.
Ngafuan disclosed that of the funds approved for the Ministry of National Defense, US$18.3 million is allocated directly to the AFL, with more than US$12.7 million dedicated to personnel compensation, an effort, he said, is intended to improve morale, welfare, and professionalism within the ranks.
Additionally, the government has earmarked US$500,000 under the Public Sector Investment Plan to renovate AFL barracks nationwide, expanding ongoing upgrades at BTC Barracks, Camp Jones, Camp Whisner, and Camp Grant. “These are promises made by the President, and they are promises kept,” Ngafuan declared. “They are no longer slogans; they are budget lines being implemented.”
He also outlined continued support for the 14th Military Hospital, expanded Coast Guard patrols up to 200 nautical miles offshore, the reactivation of three AFL units, enhanced border operations in western Liberia, and the planned recruitment of 500 new soldiers in 2026. Ngafuan described the graduating class as a reflection of the AFL’s growing professionalism and diversity, noting that the officers include combat troops, medical personnel, and band members from within the enlisted ranks.
He urged the new officers to lead with integrity, discipline, and empathy, warning against misuse of authority and reminding them that respect is earned through conduct, not rank. Quoting former U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, Ngafuan stressed that “the supreme quality of leadership is integrity,” adding that the AFL must remain “a force citizens trust, not fear.”
He emphasized that cooperation among Liberia’s security institutions, including police, immigration, customs, and intelligence services, is critical to national stability. The ceremony concluded with the formal certification of the 56 officers, marking their entry into commissioned service and underscoring the government’s broader push to strengthen Liberia’s defense and security architecture.
