-Boniface Satu Says Liberia Risks Losing Valuable Expertise Too Early as Nation Pursues Development Goals
MONROVIA, Liberia – Former Executive Director of the National Road Fund, Boniface D. Satu, has called for a comprehensive national conversation on Liberia’s retirement age policy, arguing that the country may be prematurely losing some of its most experienced and skilled professionals at a time when their expertise is needed most.
Satu believes Liberia’s ambition to strengthen public institutions, improve healthcare and education, accelerate infrastructure development, and achieve sustainable economic growth depends significantly on retaining experienced citizens who have spent decades acquiring knowledge and contributing to national development.
According to him, Liberia’s unique historical circumstances make the issue particularly important.
He noted that years of civil conflict disrupted educational systems, weakened public institutions, and created significant gaps in leadership succession and professional development. As a result, many of the country’s most experienced professionals remain critical assets whose knowledge and expertise should not be discarded solely because they have reached the age of 60.
“Liberia cannot afford to lose its most experienced professionals at a time when the nation is still rebuilding institutions and developing the human capital necessary for long-term growth,” Satu emphasized.
Balancing Youth Empowerment and Experience
While advocating a review of the retirement age, Satu was careful to stress that the discussion should not be interpreted as opposition to youth empowerment or employment opportunities for younger Liberians.
Rather, he argued that sustainable national development requires a strategic partnership between youthful innovation and seasoned experience.
According to him, countries that have successfully developed strong institutions often benefit from intergenerational collaboration, where experienced professionals mentor younger workers while continuing to contribute their expertise to national development.
“Our development agenda should not be framed as a choice between youth and experience,” he noted. “The strongest societies are those that effectively combine the energy, creativity, and innovation of young people with the wisdom, institutional memory, and expertise of experienced professionals.”
Lessons from Other Countries
Satu pointed to several countries around the world that have extended retirement ages in response to changing demographic realities, workforce demands, and the need to retain skilled professionals in critical sectors.
He suggested that Liberia should carefully study such models and assess whether similar reforms could help strengthen the country’s workforce and institutional capacity.
However, he stressed that any discussion on retirement reform must go beyond age limits and address broader issues affecting retirees, including pension adequacy, healthcare coverage, housing security, and economic dignity after public service.
“A meaningful retirement policy should ensure that citizens who have dedicated their lives to public service can retire with dignity, financial security, and access to essential social services,” he said.
Preserving Institutional Knowledge
The former Road Fund Executive Director maintained that the debate should not be viewed as an attempt to protect positions or delay leadership transitions.
Instead, he said, it should focus on preserving institutional capacity and preventing the loss of valuable knowledge that often takes decades to acquire.
He warned that countries that retire experienced professionals too early may spend years attempting to rebuild expertise that already existed within their institutions.
“A nation that retires its experience too early may spend decades trying to replace what it already had,” Satu observed.
He described experience as one of Liberia’s most valuable but often overlooked development assets, arguing that policymakers should consider how best to harness that resource while simultaneously creating opportunities for younger generations.
A Debate Worth Having
Satu’s comments come amid broader discussions about public sector reform, workforce development, and succession planning within Liberia’s public and private institutions.
As the country continues to pursue ambitious development objectives under various national programs and policies, questions surrounding workforce retention, knowledge transfer, and institutional sustainability are likely to gain increasing attention.
For Satu, the issue is ultimately about ensuring that Liberia maximizes the talents and contributions of all its citizens—both young and old—in pursuit of national progress.
“We must find a balanced approach that values experience, creates opportunities for youth, and strengthens the institutions that are essential to Liberia’s future,” he concluded.
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