Published: September 29, 2025
MONROVIA – A two-day multi-stakeholder dialogue on the labor market for graduates in the field of land governance concluded over the weekend in Monrovia with calls for stronger academic programs, curriculum reforms and job pathways to address Liberia’s growing youth unemployment crisis.
The dialogue, held Sept. 24-25 and moderated by University of Liberia lecturer Whinell Togar Shasha, brought together government officials, educators, civil society representatives, recent graduates and international partners. It focused on validating a draft study titled “A Market Study on Youth Employment in the Land Sector in Liberia.”
Speaking on behalf of civil society organizations, Daniel Wehyee, coordinator of the Community Land Protection Program at the Sustainable Development Institute, said the findings highlight the urgent need for structured solutions.
“For us in the CSOs, we see youth employment in the land sector as something very important,” Wehyee said. “The contributions made in this room should not end here but form part of the research document and inform universities’ curricula to meet current realities.”
Other participants echoed concerns that while Liberian youth are increasingly earning degrees, they face significant challenges transitioning into meaningful employment.
“Our youth learn but do not find the job,” said Daniela Gray-Johnson, project director at the Liberia Land Authority. “We need to support effective public service delivery through quality education and equitable job creation.”
Florence Malorbah Dorley, executive director of the Organization for Women Empowerment, urged stakeholders to extend collaboration beyond the workshop. “Your contributions have added value and strengthened this research work. Let the information gathered lead to meaningful impact,” she said.
A representative of recent graduates thanked German development agency GIZ, which funded the study, expressing hope that the initiative would open doors for employment in the sector.
From academia, Mencer T. Powoe, chairman of the University of Liberia’s Civil Engineering Department, encouraged faculty to push their administrations to adopt the report’s recommendations into curricula. “These jobs are not our inheritance. The youth need to take over from us,” Powoe said.
Dr. Edward Lama Wonkeryor, director general of the National Commission on Higher Education, pledged support for the study’s next phase. He recommended that Liberia’s tertiary institutions develop a dedicated undergraduate program in land governance, complete with internships leading to a Bachelor of Science degree.
“Too many valuable assets continue to go without being used in productive sectors,” Wonkeryor said. “This dialogue has broadened our scope and will allow us to work with higher institutions of learning to identify pertinent areas where students can focus their learning.”
International facilitators also weighed in. Dr. Tchigankong Desire, lead consultant from the GIZ office in Ethiopia, stressed the importance of career development. “Young people should not always sit waiting for the job,” he said. “There is no land governance-related academic program in any Liberian university. My recommendation is that it should be included in tertiary education.”
The dialogue closed with broad agreement that the finalized study should serve as a national policy document guiding both education and employment reforms in the land sector.
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