Published: September 22, 2025
MONROVIA — Liberian-American educator Dr. John Wulu is calling on the country’s diaspora community to make education the centerpiece of Liberia’s national development strategy, urging Liberians abroad to channel their resources beyond remittances and into lasting investments in schools and human capital.
Speaking at the Union of Liberian Associations in the Americas (ULAA) National Conference, Wulu framed education as the country’s most urgent need.
“Enhance Liberia Diaspora, Educate Liberia, Elevate Liberia,” he told attendees, pressing for a shift in priorities from short-term financial support to building educational infrastructure and capacity.
Beyond remittances
Liberians abroad send hundreds of millions of dollars home each year, Wulu noted, but he argued that remittances alone cannot transform the country. Instead, he urged the diaspora to invest strategically in teacher training, vocational programs, and digital learning platforms.
“Education is the bridge between poverty and prosperity, between conflict and peace, between stagnation and growth,” he said. “Every nation that has risen from struggle to strength did so because it chose to invest in the minds of its children and youth. Liberia must be no exception.”
Proposals for action
Wulu laid out a three-pronged strategy for diaspora engagement:
A Liberian Diaspora Education Investment Fund to pool resources and finance long-term projects.
Public-private partnerships to strengthen collaboration between the diaspora and the Liberian government.
Mentorship programs connecting Liberian professionals abroad with students at home.
He also challenged participants to envision a “new Liberia” where diaspora-backed investments extend into renewable energy, agribusiness, and technology — all powered by an educated workforce.
Call to patriotism
Wulu concluded his address with a passionate appeal, warning that Liberia’s progress will stall if education remains underfunded.
“Liberia is rising. But her rise will be incomplete if her children are left behind,” he said. “The measure of our patriotism will not be in the songs we sing or the speeches we make, but in the opportunities we create for the next generation.”
He then led the conference in a closing chant: “Enhance Liberia Diaspora, Educate Liberia, Elevate Liberia!”
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