Urges Youth to Lead With Integrity
MONROVIA -The Government of Liberia has officially launched its first-ever National Cadet Program, with Finance and Development Planning Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan calling on more than 1,000 young Liberians to become agents of discipline, integrity, and hope in the country’s institutions.
Speaking Friday, May 15, 2026, in Gbarnga during the official launch ceremony, Minister Ngafuan described the initiative as a key pillar of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s ARREST Agenda aimed at empowering young people through practical professional experience.
The six-month cadet program, organized by the Ministry of Youth and Sports and funded by the Government of Liberia under the Public Sector Investment Program, will place university graduates and graduating seniors in both public and private institutions across the country.
Addressing the cadets and government officials gathered at the launch, Ngafuan encouraged the young participants to use the opportunity to positively impact every institution they enter.
“Where you find darkness, spread your light; where you find laziness, spread your strength; where you find hopelessness, share the hope,” the Finance Minister declared.
During his remarks, Ngafuan reflected on his own experience as a cadet in 1988 while attending the Booker Washington Institute.
He recalled serving a six-month internship at the Liberia Petroleum Refining Company, an experience he said transformed him into a more practical and disciplined professional.
According to him, the cadet program offers young Liberians the same opportunity to transition from classroom learning to real-world experience.
The Finance Minister further linked the initiative to the government’s broader youth empowerment agenda, highlighting recent efforts including the launch of the Youth Entrepreneurship Investment Bank (YEIB), a reported $18 million project expected to support thousands of youth-led businesses and create jobs across Liberia.
Ngafuan also disclosed that the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning previously completed its own internship initiative involving nearly 300 young people deployed across various government institutions, with several participants reportedly securing full-time employment afterward.
He announced that another cohort would be recruited in June 2026.
At the same time, the Minister urged institutions hosting cadets to consider employing outstanding participants upon completion of the program.
“We pose absolutely no objection to employing exceptional young people who complete these programs because our greater intention is to leave no one behind,” he said.
In a strong defense of the Boakai administration’s performance, Ngafuan rejected claims that Liberia is moving backward, citing achievements including school construction projects, ongoing road connectivity to southeastern Liberia, increased electricity access, salary adjustments for civil servants, and growth in the national budget.
He noted that Liberia’s national budget had increased from $738 million to $1.3 billion within a little over two years, which he attributed to improved domestic revenue generation and renewed international confidence in the country.
Using a road journey analogy, the Minister compared Liberia’s development progress to traveling from Redlight to Gbarnga, stating that while the country has not yet reached its final destination, significant progress has been made.
“We concede that we have not reached Gbarnga yet,” he said.
“But today is better than yesterday, and tomorrow will be better than today.”
Ngafuan also cautioned cadets against believing that academic success alone guarantees professional excellence.
He urged them to approach their assignments with humility, patience, discipline, patriotism, and teamwork.
“Success does not only depend on what you do, but on what others do. Teamwork makes the dream work,” he told the cadets.
He concluded by reaffirming the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning’s commitment to supporting the National Cadet Program and praised the Ministry of Youth and Sports, headed by Cornelia Wonkerleh Kruah, for successfully organizing the initiative.
The program was officially declared launched with hopes that the participating cadets will become future professionals and leaders capable of contributing meaningfully to Liberia’s national development.
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