–As He Launches $408M Youth Bank
By G. Bennie Bravo Johnson
President Joseph Nyuma Boakai on Tuesday, July 22, 2025, launched US$408M Youth Entrepreneurship Investment Bank (YEIB) — an initiative aimed at turning Liberia’s youthful population into the engine of economic transformation.
At the event which was held at the EJS Ministerial Complex in Congo Town, President Boakai declared the YEIB not just a program, but “a direct investment in the survival and future of the Liberian state.” With over 60% of Liberia’s population under the age of 30, the President said the only path to sustainable peace and prosperity is one where young people become job creators, not job seekers.
“This is about economic liberation. It’s about turning the tide. The YEIB gives our youth the tools, the financing, and the platform to drive real change — in agriculture, technology, and across emerging sectors,” Boakai stated, linking the initiative to his administration’s ARREST Agenda for economic revitalization and private sector growth.
The launch coincided with the honoring of Dr. Adesina, whom Boakai described as a “pan-African trailblazer” and “a friend whose legacy will outlive his tenure. You have transformed the African Development Bank into a force for real solutions — your leadership has not just financed roads and power; it has fueled belief and opportunity,” Boakai told Adesina.
Under Adesina, the AfDB’s capital has doubled in just ten years — from $2 billion over half a century to over $4 billion in a single decade. Liberia’s slice of that progress is already visible: a $408 million investment portfolio spanning 18 projects in critical areas such as transport, energy, agriculture, finance, and governance reform.
“These are not theoretical figures. They are power lines lighting up communities, roads that end isolation, and farms that feed our people and give farmers dignity.”
Meanwhile, in a pointed appeal to the AfDB leadership, Boakai urged Adesina’s successor to back the Liberty Corridor Project — an ambitious transnational infrastructure venture linking Liberia to Guinea, Burkina Faso, and Mali.
“We want to be the gateway for landlocked neighbors. This corridor isn’t just about roads. It’s about trade, shared wealth, and Africa rising on its own terms,” he said.
The President also credited AfDB-backed financial governance reforms for helping Liberia restore discipline in public finance and regain public trust in government institutions.
Closing the ceremony, Boakai dedicated a new model school building, tying it symbolically to the country’s broader vision of nation-building through education.
“Let this school be a symbol — not just of bricks and mortar — but of a Liberia rising with educated youth committed to national service,” Boakai concluded.
