Liberia: Boakai, Diaspora Youth Leaders Urge Unity, Inclusive Growth, and  Fight Against Rape, Drug Abuse 

PHILADELPHIA, USA – President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., has called on Liberians at home and abroad to take ownership of their country’s development, stressing that true nation-building requires sacrifice, reconciliation, and a collective sense of responsibility.

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By Emmanuel Weedee-Conway  

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Speaking at a diaspora gathering in Pennsylvania, President Boakai reflected on Liberia’s painful civil war past, which claimed an estimated 250,000 lives, while honoring nations that contributed peacekeepers to end the conflict. 

He emphasized that Liberia must not forget its history but instead use it as a steppingstone to rebuild.

“We must always remember those we lost, those who fought for peace, and the friends who stood with us,” President Boakai said. But remembering is not the end. We must take responsibility for our country. This is why we are establishing a Diaspora Commission, to harness skills, talents, and investments from Liberians abroad.”

He further urged Liberians in the diaspora to view their homeland as a place of opportunity rather than a burden. 

“You can’t claim to be a Liberian when you don’t take responsibility for its growth. This is your country. We must rebuild it together,” he stressed, pointing to initiatives to rehabilitate abandoned properties, expand tourism, and attract investment.

The Liberian leader then re-emphasized his key message of unity by reminding Liberians at home and abroad that nation-building is not the responsibility of government alone, but of all citizens.

The event also highlighted the voices of diaspora youth leaders, who called for urgent action on Liberia’s growing social crises.

Miss Nix Anushka Wright, Grand Gedeh Association (GGA) Youth Spokesperson, said Liberia is “losing a generation” to drugs and sexual violence. 

She cited government figures estimating over 47,000 at-risk youth using narcotics nationwide, with Monrovia alone accounting for nearly 100,000 users.

“Drugs rob our youth of their future, leaving families broken and our communities unstable,” Wright said. Equally devastating is sexual violence. Rape is not just a crime against one individual. It is a wound against society. We cannot remain silent,” Miss Wright indicated.

She called for vocational training, mentorship programs, and stronger enforcement of laws on rape and drug trafficking, stressing: “We, the youth, are not just the future—we are the present. We must rise as advocates, educators, and protectors of one another.”

“Our story is not one of broken dreams, but of resilience. We will rise, we will build, and we are determined to heal Liberia,” Miss Wright declared.

Alphonso Samukai, Youth Chairperson of the Liberian Association in Pennsylvania, in passing re-echoed Miss Wright’s concerns while urging young Liberians to embrace their heritage as freedom fighters and nation-builders.

“To be Liberian is to be a liberator and a freedom fighter. But we cannot claim that title while our sisters endure rape, while our brothers are consumed by drugs, and while corruption continues to rob the nation of its potential,” he said. 

Samukai called for government accountability in implementing policies, especially around dual citizenship, diaspora investment, and education reform. 

He urged the President Boakai administration to prioritize science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) programs, alongside healthcare reform, to strengthen workforce development.

Addressing President Boakai directly, Samukai said: “Liberia has some of the best policies on paper, but implementation is our greatest weakness. Mr. President, if you continue listening to us, you can be a bulldozer, pushing through the obstacles holding Liberians back.”