Bensonville — Last Friday, February 21, 2025, Youth and Sports Minister Cllr. Jeror Cole Bangalu, accompanied by Deputy and Assistant Ministers for TVET, led a multi-sectoral team on an inspection of the ongoing renovation work at the Youth Agriculture Training Center in Bensonville.

The inspection is part of an initiative launched by President Joseph N. Boakai in February 2024 to assess facilities for potential transformation to accommodate and rehabilitate at-risk youths.

The center is undergoing a significant overhaul, evolving into a modern facility designed to rehabilitate at-risk youths and equip them with basic technical and vocational education skills.

Established in 1978 through a bilateral agreement between the Government of Liberia and the Federal Republic of Germany, the center initially provided entry-level training in general agriculture to rural youth to curb rural-to-urban migration.

During the inspection, Minister Bangalu and his team spent several hours examining the girls' dormitory and other key areas of the facility.

The renovation project, exclusively funded by the government and implemented by the Ministry of Youth and Sports, marks a crucial step toward creating an environment conducive to empowering at-risk youth.

Speaking with The Liberian Investigator after the assessment, Minister Bangalu emphasized the importance of the renovation, describing it as a testament to the government's fight against drug abuse and its commitment to providing an enabling environment for marginalized young people.

He underscored that the renovation is one of President Boakai's top priorities, reflecting his dedication to empowering and transforming the nation's future leaders while striving to make Liberia a drug-free country.

"This renovation is a key priority of President Boakai, aimed at empowering and transforming the country's future leaders while working toward making Liberia drug-free," Minister Bangalu concluded.