MONROVIA, Liberia — Liberia’s Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan, has reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to youth empowerment, public service reform, and inclusive national development, as he delivered heartfelt extemporaneous remarks at the close of the Young Professional Internship Program of the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP).
The closing ceremony, held Tuesday, December 30, marked the end of a four-month internship that placed hundreds of young Liberians across key public institutions, including the Monrovia City Corporation, Paynesville City Corporation, Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation, and the National Transit Authority.
Speaking to the interns, senior government officials, and development partners, Minister Ngafuan described the program as a pilot initiative inspired directly by President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s vision for empowering young people and preparing a new generation of public servants. He said the internship was never meant to be symbolic, but rather a practical investment in Liberia’s human capital.
“This vision is the vision of the President. We are implementers of the grand vision,” Ngafuan said, emphasizing that the internship program is set to be scaled up, not down, following lessons learned during its first phase.
In a major boost to the interns, the Finance Minister announced that several participating institutions had already requested permission to absorb outstanding interns into full employment, a move he said the Ministry fully supports. He publicly granted “no objection” for immediate hiring by the Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation, the National Transit Authority, and the city governments of Monrovia and Paynesville, while also noting that MFDP itself would employ interns who demonstrated exceptional performance.
Ngafuan underscored that political affiliation would never be a criterion for participation or employment. “We are hiring Liberians,” he said, stressing that inclusivity and fairness remain core principles of the program.
Reflecting personally, the Minister recounted his own journey, which began as an 18-year-old intern at the Liberia Petroleum Refining Company in 1988. He told the interns that discipline, humility, and faith were central to his rise, urging them to remain committed to hard work and integrity.
Beyond technical skills, Ngafuan stressed the importance of attitude, telling the young professionals that character, punctuality, and respect for duty ultimately determine success. He illustrated this with an anecdote from his time at the Bureau of the Budget, when then-President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf made an unannounced early-morning visit — a moment he said underscored the value of professionalism and readiness.
The Finance Minister also used the occasion to defend the Boakai administration’s record, insisting that Liberia is making tangible progress. He pointed to the historic US$1.2 billion national budget, expanded youth empowerment funding, improved employee welfare, and increased investments in electricity, roads, water, and health facilities.
“Where we are today is better than yesterday,” Ngafuan said, dismissing claims that nothing has changed. “And where we will be tomorrow will be better than today.”
He highlighted provisions in the national budget for youth-focused initiatives, including a US$3 million Presidential Youth Empowerment Initiative and a national service program, assuring the interns that government remains determined to “leave no one behind.”
As he concluded, Ngafuan challenged the interns to dream boldly, describing them as future ministers, managing directors, mayors, and national leaders. He encouraged them to see the internship not as an end, but as a pause before greater opportunities.
“This is not goodbye,” he said. “It is a temporary pause until we start again.”
The ceremony closed with applause and renewed optimism, as the young professionals departed with certificates, encouragement, and, for some, the promise of immediate employment—underscoring the MFDP’s message that Liberia’s development journey must be powered by its youth.
