The Federation of Liberian Youths (FLY) has called for a fundamental shift in the relationship between Liberia's young people and government, urging authorities to move beyond symbolic youth participation and establish a system in which young Liberians are active partners in national decision-making and development.
FLY President Ernest Duku Jallah made the call during the National Youth-Government Dialogue held in observance of International Youth Day 2026, where government officials, development partners and young people gathered to discuss youth participation, employment, governance and national development.
Jallah said Liberia could no longer afford to treat young people merely as beneficiaries of government programs or describe them as "leaders of tomorrow," arguing that young Liberians are already making important contributions to the country and must have a meaningful voice in decisions that affect their lives.
"Today is not a ceremony. It is a beginning," Jallah declared.
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According to him, young people have too often learned about government policies and decisions only after they have been made, despite being among the groups most directly affected by unemployment, limited economic opportunities, inadequate public services and other national challenges.
He said FLY was established to help bridge that gap by bringing together young Liberians from all 15 counties and ensuring their concerns become part of national policy discussions.
The organization, he explained, represents a broad cross-section of young Liberians, including students, farmers, market communities, graduates, entrepreneurs and community organizers.
Jallah linked youth unemployment, community violence, frustrations among unemployed graduates and declining confidence in public institutions to what he described as a deeper crisis of trust between young people and government.
"When young people do not trust the government, and the government does not systematically listen to young people, every other crisis we name has fertile ground to grow in," he said.
He argued that Liberia has often responded to youth challenges through isolated initiatives, advocacy campaigns and public awareness programs without sufficiently addressing the institutional disconnect between young citizens and government.
For him, the National Youth-Government Dialogue should therefore become the beginning of a more permanent system of engagement rather than another one-time consultation.
"This is not a listening session where young people speak and the government nods politely before returning to business as usual. This is a working session," Jallah stressed.
The dialogue brought the National Road Fund of Liberia into direct conversation with young people, allowing participants to examine the Fund's mandate, financing mechanisms, accountability and opportunities for youth participation.
Jallah said the National Road Fund was deliberately selected because road infrastructure affects almost every aspect of young people's lives, including access to schools, markets, health facilities, employment and business opportunities.
He challenged participants to identify gaps between young people and public institutions and develop practical solutions supported by clear responsibilities and timelines that can be publicly monitored.
"The way a broken relationship gets rebuilt is not in one dialogue, but in the habit of dialogue, institutionalized, expected, and repeated until it becomes simply how Liberia governs itself," he said.
Delivering the keynote address, National Road Fund Manager Joseta Neufville-Wento encouraged young Liberians to pursue opportunities through education, professional networking, discipline and persistence.
She shared her personal experience of overcoming financial hardship and social exclusion while pursuing her education, eventually earning a scholarship under the J.J. Roberts Scholarship Program.
Neufville-Wento also outlined opportunities created by the National Road Fund, including its internship program, which began as a STEM initiative before expanding to include arts and management-related fields. The program, she said, started with about 20 interns per cohort and is expected to accommodate approximately 27 participants this year.
She also highlighted youth employment initiatives involving roadside brushing, drainage cleaning and other minor road maintenance activities, saying more than 3,000 young people benefited from such opportunities nationwide last year.
"We'd really like to celebrate scaling our youth employment numbers from 3,000 to 6,000, then 6,000 to 20,000," Neufville-Wento said.
She disclosed that the National Road Fund's revenue had grown from approximately US18milliontoUS33 million over several years, attributing the increase to institutional reforms, improved systems and stronger focus on measurable results.
"We approach leadership with humility," she said, emphasizing that public office represents a responsibility entrusted to officials rather than an entitlement.
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Neufville-Wento urged young Liberians to study national development plans, identify areas where they can contribute, develop practical proposals and approach relevant institutions with solutions.
She also cautioned young people against believing that confrontation with public officials is the only way to attract attention, instead encouraging constructive engagement, professionalism and persistence.
Jallah said the ultimate objective of the dialogue is to create a relationship in which both government and young people accept responsibility for Liberia's future.
"Liberia's future will not be built by the government alone, and it will not be built by young people shouting from outside the gate," he declared. "It will be built in rooms exactly like this one, not assumed, but earned, one honest conversation and one kept promise at a time."
The FLY president said the success of the youth-government dialogue should ultimately be measured not by speeches or communiqués, but by concrete improvements in employment, public services, institutional trust and the meaningful inclusion of young Liberians in national decision-making.
