By: Sampat JMB Kpakimah
LICOSESS College of Education and Opportunity Network Liberia (ONL) have signed a 15-year Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) transferring the management and academic leadership of the CAN Leadership Academy School System to LICOSESS in what both institutions describe as a major step toward improving the quality of education and teacher training in Liberia.
The agreement was signed yesterday, August 3, 2026 following a series of transition meetings held on July 30 and 31 in Jacob Town, Montserrado County; Gbarnga, Bong County; and Neigbein, Nimba County.
During the meetings, school administrators, teachers and support staff were introduced to the new governance structure and implementation plan.
Under the agreement, LICOSESS College of Education will oversee the academic, administrative, institutional and quality assurance functions of the CAN Leadership Academy School System, while Opportunity Network Liberia will continue providing strategic oversight as the institution’s founding organization.
LICOSESS College of Education Official, Dr Benjamin Yele Wehye said the partnership is anchored on academic excellence, professional management, transparency, accountability, child protection, financial sustainability, continuous teacher development, innovation in teaching and long-term institutional growth.
As part of the arrangement, CAN Leadership Academy has been designated as an official LICOSESS Demonstration School, creating opportunities for trainee teachers to gain supervised classroom experience while strengthening practical teacher education.
The partnership covers three campuses located in Jacob Town, Montserrado County; Gbarnga, Bong County; and Neigbein, Nimba County. Together, the schools currently enroll approximately 1,690 students, with about 790 in Montserrado, 400 in Bong and 500 in Nimba.
The campuses collectively include 65 classrooms, 20 administrative offices, more than 40 modern bathrooms equipped with running water, two 50 KVA standby generators, campus-wide water systems, Starlink internet connectivity, approximately 2,000 student chairs and 75 student desks, along with additional educational resources and equipment.
The agreement also transfers a wide range of institutional assets, including science materials, office equipment, multimedia instructional tools, musical instruments for arts education, nine industrial tailoring machines supporting vocational education, and guest houses in Montserrado and Bong counties with more than 20 accommodation rooms.
In addition, Dr. Wehye announced plans to relocate its Patmelia Annex to the Jacob Town campus beginning with the September-November 2026 trimester. The college also plans to relocate its Bong County operations from St. Peter’s Episcopal High School, creating an integrated learning environment that combines teacher education with practical classroom instruction.
The agreement introduces several governance reforms aimed at strengthening the academy’s operations, including improved financial management systems, joint oversight through a Partnership Council, transparent human resource management, performance monitoring mechanisms, modern procurement procedures, continuous professional development for educators and stronger child safeguarding and quality assurance policies.
According to the two institutions, the partnership seeks to build a coordinated education system linking early childhood, primary, secondary and teacher education.
CEO of CAN Academy, Eric Wowoh said the initiative is expected to improve classroom instruction, strengthen academic supervision and expand access to quality education in Montserrado, Bong and Nimba counties.
Implementation activities have already begun and include recruitment for the 2026-2027 academic year, a free vacation and enrichment school program, campus engineering and classroom readiness assessments, infrastructure renovations, intensive teacher training, student admissions from nursery through Grade 12, and the expansion of LICOSESS College of Education programs across the three counties.
Both institutions said they remain committed to working together over the next 15 years to position CAN Leadership Academy as a model for educational excellence while strengthening Liberia’s teacher education system and expanding learning opportunities for children nationwide.
