Deputy Finance and Development Planning Minister for Administration at the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, Hon. Bill McGill Jones
Monrovia – The Deputy Finance and Development Planning Minister for Administration at the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, Hon. Bill McGill Jones, has called on the Legislature to enact the National Service Program (NSP) into law.
The National Service Program, launched on Wednesday in Paynesville, is a government-backed initiative being implemented by the Ministry of Youth and Sports dedicated to empowering youth and women through structured service, skills development, and civic engagement.
With ten programmatic pillars and operations in more than ten counties, the NSP is a flagship effort to align Liberia’s youth development strategy with its national goals for peace, unity, and progress.
Deputy Finance Minister McGill Jones described the NSP as a bold and strategic initiative aimed at providing young people from across the country with meaningful experience in public service before entering the Civil Service.
Officially launching the NSP on behalf of Finance and Development Planning Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan, Deputy Finance Minister McGill Jones made it clear that the program is not only designed for young people but must also be driven by them.
“You are not the leaders of tomorrow. You are the leaders of today. The builders of today. The changemakers of today,” he said. “Liberia cannot afford to keep you on the sidelines. Your time is now.”
He also stressed the program’s strong focus on gender inclusion, especially the empowerment of women and girls.
“Whether it’s in agriculture, education, health, or leadership, your voice, your ideas, and your leadership are needed,” he stated. “This program is a declaration that Liberian women and girls are not second-class citizens.”
Hon. McGill Jones issued a call to action for ministries, agencies, development partners, civil society organizations, and the media to rally around the program. He advocated for an all-of-government and all-of-society approach to ensure the NSP becomes a sustainable model for national development.
“Let the launch of the National Service Program be the spark that lights a fire of civic responsibility and patriotic action in the hearts of every young Liberian,” he concluded.
Deputy Finance Minister McGill Jones emphasized that with over 60% of Liberia’s population under the age of 25, the NSP is not a response to a crisis, but rather, it’s an answer to one of the greatest opportunities in the nation’s history.
Speaking earlier, the Minister of Youth and Sports, Cllr. Jeror Cole Bangalu, emphasized that the National Service Program is designed to strengthen and ensure the development and empowerment of young people.
He praised President Joseph Nyumah Boakai for his unwavering commitment to improving the lives of Liberia’s youth, describing the National Service Program as the “lifeblood of the government’s development agenda.”
United Nations Resident Coordinator Her Excellency Christine Umutoni on behalf of the UN congratulated the Ministry of Youth and Sports for the launch of the National Youth Service Program.
She termed the NYS as a transformative initiative intended to transform the youths who form part of the largest portion of the portion.
Madam Umutoni said the National Service Program is part of the shared goals of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
“The National Service Program is not simply another initiative — it is a promise to invest in our youth, expand opportunity, and ensure that no Liberian is left behind,” said Project Coordinator Mr. F. Alphonso Y. Belleh II at the official launch.
“With a target of reaching 25,000 beneficiaries over five years, this program is designed to empower young people and women through vocational training, education, entrepreneurship, and professional development.”
Mr. Belleh called for sustained support from government, partners, and the private sector, emphasizing that: “Such investment is not just a contribution; it is a bold statement of solidarity with Liberia’s most vulnerable.”
The launch event was attended by several Heads of Government Ministries and Agencies, leaders of student and youth organizations, as well as scores of young Liberians from across the country.
The National Youth Service program, is designed to empower more than 20,000 youth and women across over ten counties through a comprehensive, ten-part framework. Key components include community service, vocational training, mentorship, civic education, sanitation, and literacy programs.
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