As UNESCO Celebrates Its 75th Birthday, Why Africans Have Much to Tell the World about EducationAfrica is often presented as a continent with the greatest of education challenges. That leadership has been vital and has led directly to transformed learning outcomes for tens of thousands of Liberian children. The transformation in Edo State has taken three years. African Government programs have led the transformation of public education through the gathering and analysis of data. Within seven weeks, students in EKOEXCEL public schools advanced in numeracy twice as fast and in literacy three times as fast as their peers.

The Plenary’s decision followed the submission of the agreement by President George Weah to the House for ratification. The expansion project – which encompasses processing, rail and port facilities – will be one of the largest mining projects in West Africa. The capital required to finalise the project is expected to be approximately $0.8 billion, as it is effectively a brownfield expansion. Economic benefitsAs the largest foreign investor in Liberia, ArcelorMittal Liberia has invested over $1.7 billion in the country over the past 15 years, the company’s data shows. The Joint Committee is expected to review the agreement and report to Plenary within two weeks with a set of recommendations.

President Weah recalled that the MRU, founded in 1973, has effectively executed the task of maintaining peace and regional stability for the past five decades. In a special statement delivered Monday, November 22, 2021, at the Farmington Hotel in Margibi County at the opening of the MRU Conference, President Weah observed that the MRU uses collaboration and cooperation in the realization of its goal. Such examination, President Weah maintained, should include addressing essential economic matters of growth and development; multi-dimensional poverty, lack of political inclusiveness, gender inequity, and youth unemployment. President Weah said he looks forward to the positive, practical, and innovative outcomes of this conference, which he believes will help accelerate the transitional process towards democratic governance in Guinea. The gathering, which comes as a result of President Weah’s request, is dubbed ‘MRU Diplomatic, Peace, Security and Democracy Conference’.

Capitol Hill, Monrovia – Representative Thomas Alexander Goshua (District #5, Grand Bassa County) has called on his colleagues at the Liberian Senate to concur with the House of Representatives in passing the amended drugs law. There shouldn’t be any reason why the Senate should not pass this bill,” Rep. Goshua said. The current drug law of 2014 has several loopholes in the fight against drug and substances in Liberia. The bill seeks to make importation of drugs a non-bailable offense, and a prison term of 20 years. In addition, the law seeks to confiscate properties and money from perpetrators that could be placed into government coffers and used as revenue.

Monrovia- The International Organization on Migration Liberia, through its Migrants, As Messenger program has embarked on massive awareness activities against irregular migration and the need to travel safely. The awareness is part of Migrants As Messengers (MAM) Caravan 2021, using sports, entertainment and community engagements, among others to provide information among Liberians, mostly the youthful population on making informed decisions on traveling through the proper channel. At the same time, IOM Country Coordinator, Mohammed Diallo said those involved with irregular traveling are constantly found doing so because they were not informed of the danger irregular traveling poses to them. According to him, the purpose of the caravan is to raise awareness against illegal traveling. According to him, the solution to the difficulty in life is not irregular migration, as such, people should get involved with things that will better their lives.

Dr. Dougbeh Chris Nyan has been awarded the first-ever Manevia Leadership African Award in Public Healthcare Innovation. The Nyan-Test can detect about 3-7 infections and simultaneously identify them in less than an hour. He was awarded a US patent for his invention and recognized last year by the 2020 German-Berlin Science Week. Dr. Nyan has received other awards and recognitions including the 2017 African Innovation Award Special Prize for Social Impact and the Humane Order for African Redemption in 2016 when he served as National Orator of Liberia's 169 Independence Commemoration. Dr. Nyan was honored at an event held in College Park, Maryland over the weekend at the University of Maryland.

MONROVIA – The World Bank Country Manager for Liberia, Dr. Kwhima Nthara has hailed the Liberian Government for making tough choices that have resulted in a boost to the economy. Dr. Nthara made the commendation following the launch of the Second Edition of the annual Liberia Economic Update, “Finding Fiscal Space”. According to the report, economic growth is expected to recover to 3.6 percent in 2021, before rising gradually to an average of 5.2 percent over 2022–2025. In addition, Liberia needs to invest in its people and institutions, and create an educated, skilled, and healthy labor force, in both the public or private sectors, and protect its economy and vulnerable population against repeated exogenous shocks, the Liberia Economic Update emphasized. This means that the external resources mobilized in the period financed a significant part of the government’s operating expenditure instead of financing public investment in infrastructure.

For nearly five decades of its existence, the Mano River Union has been the vehicle of aspiration for diplomacy, peace, security, stability, democracy and development for our sub-region. These unfortunate experiences must now inform our quest for durable diplomacy, peace, security and democracy in the sub-region. In this regard, we urge the Secretary-General and the Secretariat of the Mano River Union to reach out to the African Union, United Nations Peacebuilding Commission and Peace Building Fund, to foster stronger and more active partnerships in peacebuilding initiatives for the Mano River Union. The ECOWAS Commission’s partnership with the United Nations Peacebuilding Support Office can also provide synergies with these peacebuilding initiatives. EXCELLENCIES, DISTINGUISHED DELEGATES, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:I hereby declare that the Mano River Union Diplomatic, Peace, Security and Democracy Conference in Liberia is now formally opened.

The LRA intends to introduce the excise tax stamps all alcohol products and tobacco beginning January 2022. The Excise Tax Stamp is a specially designed stamp with digital and other security features which is affixed on excisable goods to show that taxes and duties have been paid or would be paid. … The Excise tax stamp is not a new tax. In South Sudan, Madras Security Printers was accused of corrupt and collusive behavior in 2020 with regard to their tax stamp program. Ghana’s policy on the tax stamp policy places the responsibility on the affected excise product on the importer or the manufacturer.

Hamburg, Germany – Liberian-German boxer Freddy Kiwitt will return to the ring following two successful victories against Octavian Gratii and Johan Perez in September. Kiwitt, a European and African Welterweight champions, speaking to FrontPageAfrica, said that he knows little about the Colombian, stressing that he would approach fight round after round. Kiwitt further explained that he could not found much video footage of his opponent online, stressing that Saturday could determine the outcome. Kiwitt was defeated against Luther Clay and attributed the defeat to a minor illness that he had before the fight. Of course, I want to fight for my country but definitely it is a motivation which is helping,” Kiwitt said.

-- as Gov’t Appropriates US$1.75M for RenovationAfter spending a little over US$100,000 to carry on recent renovation works at the SKD Sports Stadium to meet up with the set CAF stadium minimum requirements, which were not met, the government of Liberia has appropriated US$1.75 million for the renovation and placement of artificial turf at the stadium. The fund was appropriated in the draft national budget for fiscal year 2022 in which the Ministry of Youth and Sports budget has been increased from US$4,231,216 to US$7,615,092. US$1 million was set aside for the renovation of the facility, while the US$750,000 will be used for the placement of the artificial turf. Liberia had to play their home matches outside of the country during the just ended group stage of the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers due to the ban imposed on the SKD. The Government of Liberia, through the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning in August of this year, approved US$161,000 for the recent renovation of the facility.

The Senate plenary has voted unanimously to sue the House of Representatives for the "wrongful" interpretation of Article 34d(i), of the Liberian Constitution of 1986. Since then the iron ore concession – the area where the ore mining was done – only boasts of idle machines gathering rust. The 25-year China Union agreement was expected to generate 3,000 to 4,000 jobs with an additional 15,000 indirectly, which hardly came to fruition. But Bao Chico insists that it will be mining iron ore in Gbarpolu County. In the absence of China Union activity currently on the existing rail line, there is still a lot of ongoing commercial activity along the railroad.

Mine were the symbols of:“Birth” “Life” “Death” and “Infinity”These (or “this”, whichever is correct - or just pick one) have kinda kept me grounded and balanced. In life, we ALL have that line ahead of us - and in life you either walk it or remain a spectator watching those who dare. Yes, life “slowly but surely” teaches us that life is HARD, so we all try to prepare for those hard times. That “flashback” moment in time of me watching JHT walking his line, goes back to that particular day down at PHP. But back to JHT and our PHP walk ... By now “stuff” had already started happening up the road.

Capitol Hill, Monrovia – At long last, President George Weah, through the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP), has submitted the draft national budget in the tune of US$785,587,340 for fiscal year 2022. Despite a month-long delay in the submission of the budget, President Weah, in a communication accompanying the budget, called on the Legislature to pass it in time owing to the ‘significant’ programs earmarked to be funded during the impending fiscal year. He added that social services which is basically about development interventions, will see a “massive” climb of 174.7 percent, equivalent to 26.3 million dollars. However, President Weah, in a communication to the Legislature at the beginning of this month, requested for an additional eleven days before submitting the budget. Budget SummaryIn his communication, President Weah said of the total revenue envelop of US$785,587,340, external resources total US$145 million.

MONROVIA – The National Commission on Higher Education (NCHE) says it has not certified BlueCrest University College in Liberia to offer master’s degree courses as their application is still being reviewed. Let it be known that the BlueCrest University College applied to the NCHE for elevation of status to offer a master’s degree in Information Technology. The BlueCrest University College’s proposed program was assessed by the NCHE,” the Commission indicated in a statement. According to the statement, recommendations were made by the NCHE for the BlueCrest University College to fulfill in order to be granted the status of accreditation, before the university college commences the master’s degree program in Information Technology. “Up-to-date the BlueCrest University College has not fulfilled the conditions and recommendations proffered by the NCHE for its program accreditation at the graduate level.