Gbarnga, Bong County-The Director General of the Liberia Institute of Public Administration (LIPA) has commended private training institutions for expanding access to business and entrepreneurship skills across the country, describing their efforts as an essential contribution to Liberia's human-capacity development agenda.
Speaking at the weekend in Gbarnga, , at the completion ceremony of the International Labour Organization's Start and Improve Your Business (SIYB) training programme, the LIPA boss said he was "happy and encouraged" to see local institutions complementing Liberia's academic system by offering practical skills for business growth.
The ceremony, hosted by Divine Intervention Support Services (DISS) in partnership with International Labour Support & Services and the ILO, celebrated 51 aspiring entrepreneurs who completed the Generate Your Business Idea (GYB) and Start Your Business (SYB) modules. The training is designed to help Liberians turn ideas into viable enterprises capable of addressing challenges within their communities.
Addressing the graduates, the LIPA Director General stressed that the institute bears a national responsibility as Liberia's only government-owned professional training body. He said ensuring competency-building for citizens across all counties remains central to LIPA's mandate. While acknowledging the value of academic degrees, he said technical and practical training is what enables graduates to translate knowledge into economic opportunity.
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"We are in an era where everyone wants a degree, which is good," he said. "But when people graduate without the technical skills to turn their ideas into businesses, they need this kind of training. That is why I am excited to be here--this work complements the academic programmes."
The LIPA head also disclosed that the institution is expanding its international collaborations, including strengthening engagements in Hong Kong and exploring academic partnerships with the ECTC in the Philippines. He said these efforts reflect a broader drive to modernise Liberia's public-sector training landscape.
He signalled LIPA's commitment to decentralising its services, noting that his presence in Bong County was a deliberate demonstration of plans to make training programmes more accessible outside Monrovia. He encouraged deeper collaboration between public institutions and private training providers such as DISS.
According to him, partnerships remain the most efficient way to broaden access, especially given financial constraints. "We don't need to build our own facilities everywhere. That's expensive," he said. "We must partner with institutions that already have the infrastructure. Divine has the facilities--so when LIPA comes in, we complement their services."
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He added that integrating financial management training into entrepreneurship programmes would help new business owners establish stronger and more sustainable ventures. Such training, he said, is vital for anyone seeking to operate effectively in Liberia's growing private sector.
The Director General also underscored the importance of sustaining the impact of such initiatives by encouraging participants to share their skills and become local training ambassadors. He revealed that some trainees had benefited from his personal sponsorship and pledged to continue supporting young people beyond his official capacity.
He reiterated that Liberia's greatest wealth lies in its people, not its natural resources. "We have not received the value we deserve because we have not trained the people to match the market," he said. "That is why I am passionate about empowering young people to think independently and become active citizens."
The programme, held at the Center for Entrepreneurship Development and Multipurpose Conference Hall in the Frog Island Community of Gbarnga, brought together local leaders, trainers and community members in support of expanding skills training across Bong County.
