Radio Margibi FM 103.9 MHz in Kakata, Margibi County on Saturday January 17, 2026, turned its microphones toward celebration as it hosted the 2025 Best Performing Leader Award Ceremony and homecoming event for former staff, marking both the station's growth and its enduring bond with the community it serves.
The highlight of the ceremony was the presentation of the 2025 Best Performing Leaders Awards, which recognized individuals and institutions for outstanding contributions to national development, leadership, and community empowerment.
Awardees represented a broad cross-section of Liberian society, spanning media, politics, education, business, recognition and humanitarian service. Each honoree was selected based on demonstrated impact, innovation, and commitment to public service.
Among those honored was Mr. Eugene Fahgon, Director General of the Liberia Broadcasting System (LBS), who was for revitalizing the state broadcaster and opening opportunities for young media professionals. Dr. John S. Smith Jr. received accolades for academic excellence and mentorship, having risen from a government school graduate to become the first alumnus of his institution to earn a PhD.
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Sinoe County Senator, Cryton O.Duncan was named most outspoken political leader, praised for his fearless advocacy and consistent efforts to educate citizens on governance and accountability.
In the education sector, Trinity University was honored for expanding access to higher education outside Monrovia, particularly through the introduction of master's degree programs that serve students in rural communities.
Business leaders including Justin H. Fayumbo, Jason K. George, and Josephine S. Koppo were also recognized for innovation, financial inclusion, youth empowerment, and sustained community service.
Manager Burgess said the awards ceremony was not only a celebration of excellence but also a reaffirmation of Radio Margibi's role as a community-centered institution.
By honoring leaders who are shaping Liberia's future, the station aims to inspire responsible leadership while strengthening partnerships with stakeholders across the country.
As former staff reunited and new honorees took the stage, the event underscored the station's enduring mission to inform, empower, and amplify the voices of the people it serves.
Giving a historical background of Radio Margibi that blended reflection with recognition, the station manager, Gorgbor Sylvester Burgess traced the journey of the community radio station from its modest beginnings in 2016 to its emergence as a respected media voice reaching audiences across Liberia and beyond.
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According to him, the station was founded by a group of young media professionals in Margibi County on the principles of responsible, ethical journalism, with a mission to serve as a "voice for the voiceless."
The station's early survival and growth, Burgess noted, were made possible through the financial backing of its chief patron, Hon. Ben A. Fofana, whose support helped transform a grassroots idea into a functioning broadcast institution.
He said since its establishment, Radio Margibi has recorded several major milestones.
According to him, in 2018, the media entity acquired its own parcel of land, laying the foundation for long-term sustainability and the construction of a modern broadcast facility which began in 2021 at an estimated cost of US$60,161 and is now eighty percent complete.
He explained that in 2024, the station expanded its broadcast beyond traditional airwaves with the launch of an online streaming platform, giving it a global audience and connecting Liberians in the diaspora to news and programming from home.
He says, today, Radio Margibi operates with a staff of 18, many of whom serve as volunteers, and its signal reaches listeners in at least five counties.
