The Student Unification Party (SUP) at the University of Liberia staged a peaceful protest in Monrovia, calling on the President of the University, Dr. Layli Maparyan to address the deteriorating conditions at the institution or step down with immediate effect. On Monday, September 15, 2025, hundreds of students marched in their party colors, chanting slogans with placards bearing inscriptions “Fix the University or leave now” and “Education is a Right, Not a Privilege.”
According to the protesters, their action was triggered by a series of challenges facing the University, including poor learning facilities, lack of modern laboratories, irregular academic calendar, and the absence of a robust student-centered policy. SUP said the students are no longer willing to endure what he termed as “administrative neglect” of the nation’s premier institution of higher learning.
“We are sending a clear message to Dr. Maparyan: either she takes immediate steps to fix the longstanding problems at the University of Liberia or she vacates her position,” they maintained The protest, which began on the University’s Capitol Hill campus, later extended into the streets of Monrovia but remained largely peaceful under the watch of joint security officers.
Meanwhile, University authorities have not yet issued an official response to the students’ demands. The University of Liberia, founded in 1862, remains the country’s oldest and largest public institution of higher learning, but has in recent years struggled with issues ranging from underfunding and infrastructural decline to frequent disruptions in its academic programs.
