-Receives Prestigious Award
By: Sampat JMB Kpakimah
The Director General of the Liberia Intellectual Property Office (LIPO), Madam Garmai Koboi, has called on the Online Freelance Reporters Union of Liberia (OFiARU) to take the lead in guiding online freelance journalists who publish information without proper fact-checking.
Madam Koboi made the call on Thursday during an award ceremony held at the head office of LIPO.
She expressed concern over the increasing trend of bloggers and social media influencers circulating unverified and unauthentic information, which she said undermines public confidence and responsible journalism. The LIPO Director General urged OFiARU to organize structured training programs that will help online freelancers understand ethical reporting, accuracy, and professional standards.
She also called on members of the public to provide feedback on the operations of LIPO, particularly where improvements are needed, noting that she and her team value transparency and accountability.
Presenting the award on behalf of the Online Freelance Reporters Union of Liberia, OFiARU Chief Executive Officer Leon Saydee praised Madam Koboi for her outstanding leadership and reforms at LIPO.
Saydee disclosed that OFiARU, a fully registered member of the Press Union of Liberia (PUL), has since 2019 been regulating online journalism platforms and leading initiatives aimed at combating misinformation, disinformation, and propaganda.
He explained that in 2025, OFiARU and its partner institutions conducted a nationwide, non-partisan fact-check investigation across all fifteen political subdivisions of Liberia to evaluate the performance of LIPO under Madam Koboi’s administration.
According to the findings, LIPO made significant progress in public engagement, intellectual property awareness campaigns in Montserrado, Grand Bassa, and Nimba Counties, the establishment of intellectual property clubs in twenty high schools, and the strengthening of public-private partnerships.
The investigation also highlighted LIPO’s collaboration with AME Zion University to establish a support center focused on research, innovation, and technology transfer. Based on these achievements, OFiARU announced that Madam Koboi will receive the organization’s highest and most prestigious honor titled “The Grand Supreme Order of National Reformists of Noble Pioneer of Intellectual Property Governance.”
The formal honoring ceremony took place today at the LIPO Headquarters Conference Room in Monrovia, with representatives from media institutions and civil society organizations expected to attend.
