Latest news with #Liberians
Zawya
7 hours ago
- Business
- Zawya
Liberia salutes African Development Bank President Adesina in landmark Government session
I want you to know that your legacy in Liberia is strong and enduring, President Boakai tells Adesina 'With your vast natural resources, Liberia has no business being poor.' — Adesina Liberian President Joseph Nyuma Boakai convened the full spectrum of his government leadership to hear from African Development Bank President Dr. Akinwumi Adesina ( whom he lauded for a transformative decade at the helm of Africa's premier development finance institution. The expanded cabinet meeting, held Tuesday 22 July at the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Ministerial Complex in Monrovia, brought together all three branches of the Liberian government: executive ministers, legislative leaders, the Chief Justice, and heads of state-owned enterprises. The event served as both a celebration of partnership and a platform for Adesina to share leadership insights as he nears the end of his term in August 2025. 'You have shown the world that bold ideas, when combined with clear vision and determination, can produce extraordinary results,' President Boakai declared. 'Through your leadership, the African Development Bank has invested in real solutions that touch lives every day.' Underscoring the gravity of the occasion, the Liberian president added: "The fact that all three branches of our government are represented speaks volumes about the value we place on your visit and the respect we have for your leadership and contributions.' In his rousing keynote address titled "Liberia: Arise, and Shine!", Dr. Adesina reflected on the Bank's enduring partnership with Liberia, which has resulted in $1.02 billion in investments across 72 projects since 1967. Key achievements include nearly 2,500 km of electricity transmission lines connecting Liberia with Côte d'Ivoire, Sierra Leone, and Guinea; the Liberia Energy Efficiency and Access Project, which delivered nearly 40,000 new grid connections; and 177 km of new roads including the transformational Fish Town-Harper and Karloken to Fish Town corridors. A central highlight of the event was the launch of the Liberia Youth Entrepreneurship Investment Bank (YEIB), a flagship $17 million initiative under the African Development Bank's Youth in Africa strategy. Liberia becomes the first African country to establish the dedicated youth-focused financial institution, aimed at equipping young Liberians aged 18-35 with the tools and capital to drive national development through entrepreneurship. President Boakai described the Bank's portfolio as 'more than numbers on paper.' 'They are roads that connect our communities, energy that lights homes and businesses, and agriculture projects that strengthen food security and create income for our farmers,' he said. Drawing from his experience as Nigeria's former Minister of Agriculture, and his decade-long leadership of the Bank, Adesina offered the Liberian cabinet a 7-point framework for transformational governance: setting clear and ambitious goals, ensuring measurable results, promoting teamwork and accountability and reforming institutions, especially the civil service and judiciary. 'Don't just blow the whistle, use your yellow card or red card. There is no need for rules in a soccer game if the referee never uses the yellow card or the red card,' Adesina said. 'You cannot spend time baby-sitting poor performers. The public is eager for results and time is not on your side. So, be firm. Reward performers. Dispense with non-performers.' He recommended the adoption of a 'One Government approach', as well as the establishment of a presidential awards program to 'recognize and incentivize inter-agency collaboration'; drawing from similar models at the African Development Bank. The Bank Group President urged the country to unlock greater value from its abundant resources. "With your vast natural resources, Liberia has no business being poor,' he stated. 'The export of raw materials is the door to poverty. The export of value-added products is the highway to wealth.' During a Q&A session, Adesina emphasized the importance of technical and vocational training, citing that 60 percent of Liberia's population is under the age of 35. He was responding to Education Minister Jarso Maley Jallah who inquired about strengthening entrepreneurship through the education system. Responding to a question from the Minister of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism, Jerolinmek Piah on achieving fiscal targets, Adesina urged the government to plug revenue leakages, noting that Africa loses $88 billion annually to illicit financial flows. "Make your country investable: invest in transparency, rule of law, create the right environment, provide incentives," he added. Sannah Ziama, a local investor, praised Adesina's visionary leadership and called for sustained investments in solar power to unlock Liberia's industrial potential. As a low-income country and transition State, Liberia continues to benefit from the African Development Fund, the Bank's concessional lending arm, as well as the Transition Support Facility, and the Nigeria Trust Fund. Liberia is also part of the inaugural group of countries that have developed energy compacts under the Mission 300 program, a joint initiative of the African Development Bank and the World Bank to deliver electricity to 300 million Africans by 2030. In recognition of his exceptional contributions, President Boakai presented Adesina with a Presidential Pin of Honour. Adesina had previously received Liberia's highest national honour – the Order of the Star of Africa, Grade of Grand Band – in 2018. 'Dr. Adesina, as you prepare to move on from this chapter, I want you to know that your legacy in Liberia is strong and enduring, President Boakai said. 'The programs you have championed will continue to make an impact for years to come. Thank you for your faith in Liberia's potential, and thank you for investing in our people, especially our youth.' Adesina was accompanied by the Bank's Director General for West Africa, Lamin Barrow; Bank Executive Director for Liberia, Sierra Leone, The Gambia, Ghana and Sudan, Rufus Darkortey; and Acting Country Manager, Foday Yusuf Bob. Liberia's historical connection with the African Development Bank dates back to the institution's founding, when Liberian official Romeo Alexander Horton served as the pioneer Chairman of the Committee of Nine that established the Bank in 1964. Read Dr. Adesina's address here ( Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB). Media Contacts: Natalie Nkembuh and Tolu Ogunlesi Communication and External Relations media@ About the African Development Bank Group: The African Development Bank Group is Africa's premier development finance institution. It comprises three distinct entities: the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Development Fund (ADF) and the Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF). On the ground in 41 African countries with an external office in Japan, the Bank contributes to the economic development and the social progress of its 54 regional member states. For more information:
6 days ago
- Sport
In Liberia's version of baseball, there are no bats and no men
MONROVIA, Liberia -- It was a perfect pitch. The ball sped straight across home plate, where it was met with an equally powerful kick. Perryline Jimmie sprinted toward first base after her kick as her teammates erupted in cheers on the sidelines. Jimmie, 23, is a professional player of kickball, a close cousin of baseball that is beloved by women in Liberia and played all over the country from schoolyards to public squares and dirt fields. Since its introduction in the 1960s, it has become the nation's second-most popular sport after soccer. Kickball in Liberia has the rules of baseball but there are no bats, and players kick a soccer ball instead of the larger, lightweight ball used for the game in other places. There also are no male players. 'In Liberia, (kickball) is our tradition,' said Jimmie, who noted many girls start playing kickball from an early age. 'This is why you see women playing kickball in Liberia.' In 1964, Peace Corps volunteer Cherry Jackson noticed that, unlike boys, the students at the all-girls school where she taught in Monrovia, the capital, didn't play any sports, according to Emmanuel Whea, president of Liberia's National Kickball League. Jackson, an American, tried to teach the girls baseball but quickly realized they were much better at hitting the ball with their feet. That was the start of what became a custom for girls in the country of about 5.6 million people. 'When you're a girl growing up in Liberia, you will play kickball,' Whea said. Kickball is played in other parts of the world, including in the United States, where it is a common elementary school game for girls and boys. But only in Liberia is there a women-only professional league. The National Kickball League was created in 1994 to bring people together as Liberia was reeling from a civil war. The league was set up "to bring the ladies together and use them (as part of) the reconciliation process of Liberia," Whea said. 'We had just left the civil war, and everybody had just scattered ... So kickball was one of those sports used to bring Liberians together so they could have the time to hear the peace messages.' Whea has big plans for the league, including expanding it to men and introducing the game to other African countries. However, his mission has been complicated by a lack of resources, especially in a region where women's sports often are underfunded. Saydah A. Yarbah, a 29-year-old mother of two, admits it is hard to make ends meet on her athlete's salary despite playing kickball for 10 years. Her earnings are 'not even near' what male athletes earn, she said. In Liberia, many sports, including soccer, are male-dominated. Despite kickball being a sport played by women, the league is led by men, from the coaches to the referees and league officials. The league encourages women but they really don't want to be coaches, Whea said. "Their husbands might have a problem with them working full-time (and) for some, their relationship will not allow it,' he said Yarbah plans to change that narrative by becoming a coach when she retires, allowing her to share her passion for the sport with others, including her two sons, she said. 'They are not going to play kickball for now,' she said. 'But probably in the future, they are going to introduce kickball to men.' For the moment, kickball remains a women's game. Men sometimes come during their practice, Yarbah said, but they do not stand a chance. "They don't know the techniques of the game,' she said. 'So we always win.'
San Francisco Chronicle
7 days ago
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
In Liberia's version of baseball, there are no bats and no men
MONROVIA, Liberia (AP) — It was a perfect pitch. The ball sped straight across home plate, where it was met with an equally powerful kick. Perryline Jimmie sprinted toward first base after her kick as her teammates erupted in cheers on the sidelines. Jimmie, 23, is a professional player of kickball, a close cousin of baseball that is beloved by women in Liberia and played all over the country from schoolyards to public squares and dirt fields. Since its introduction in the 1960s, it has become the nation's second-most popular sport after soccer. Kickball in Liberia has the rules of baseball but there are no bats, and players kick a soccer ball instead of the larger, lightweight ball used for the game in other places. There also are no men. 'In Liberia, (kickball) is our tradition,' said Jimmie, who noted many girls start playing kickball from an early age. 'This is why you see women playing kickball in Liberia.' How kickball came to Liberia In 1964, Peace Corps volunteer Cherry Jackson noticed that, unlike boys, the students at the all-girls school where she taught in Monrovia, the capital, didn't play any sports, according to Emmanuel Whea, president of Liberia's National Kickball League. Jackson, an American, tried to teach the girls baseball but quickly realized they were much better at hitting the ball with their feet. That was the start of what became a custom for girls in the country of about 5.6 million people. 'When you're a girl growing up in Liberia, you will play kickball,' Whea said. Kickball is played in other parts of the world, including in the United States, where it is a common elementary school game for girls and boys. But only in Liberia is there a women-only professional league. A league for women and peace The National Kickball League was created in 1994 to bring people together as Liberia was reeling from a civil war. The league was set up "to bring the ladies together and use them (as part of) the reconciliation process of Liberia," Whea said. 'We had just left the civil war, and everybody had just scattered ... So kickball was one of those sports used to bring Liberians together so they could have the time to hear the peace messages.' Whea has big plans for the league, including expanding it to men and introducing the game to other African countries. However, his mission has been complicated by a lack of resources, especially in a region where women's sports often are underfunded. Saydah A. Yarbah, a 29-year-old mother of two, admits it is hard to make ends meet on her athlete's salary despite playing kickball for 10 years. Her earnings are 'not even near' what male athletes earn, she said. An all-women sport headed by men In Liberia, many sports, including soccer, are male-dominated. Despite kickball being a sport played by women, the league is led by men from the coaches to the referees and league officials. The league encourages women but they really don't want to be coaches, Whea said. "Their husbands might have a problem with them working full time (and) for some, their relationship will not allow it,' he said Yarbah plans to change that narrative by becoming a coach when she retires, allowing her to share her passion for the sport with others, including her two sons, she said. 'They are not going to play kickball for now,' she said. 'But probably in the future, they are going to introduce kickball to men.' For the moment, kickball remains a women's game. Men sometimes come during their practice, Yarbah said, but they do not stand a chance. "They don't know the techniques of the game,' she said. 'So we always win.' ___
Winnipeg Free Press
7 days ago
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
In Liberia's version of baseball, there are no bats and no men
MONROVIA, Liberia (AP) — It was a perfect pitch. The ball sped straight across home plate, where it was met with an equally powerful kick. Perryline Jimmie sprinted toward first base after her kick as her teammates erupted in cheers on the sidelines. Jimmie, 23, is a professional player of kickball, a close cousin of baseball that is beloved by women in Liberia and played all over the country from schoolyards to public squares and dirt fields. Since its introduction in the 1960s, it has become the nation's second-most popular sport after soccer. Kickball in Liberia has the rules of baseball but there are no bats, and players kick a soccer ball instead of the larger, lightweight ball used for the game in other places. There also are no men. 'In Liberia, (kickball) is our tradition,' said Jimmie, who noted many girls start playing kickball from an early age. 'This is why you see women playing kickball in Liberia.' How kickball came to Liberia In 1964, Peace Corps volunteer Cherry Jackson noticed that, unlike boys, the students at the all-girls school where she taught in Monrovia, the capital, didn't play any sports, according to Emmanuel Whea, president of Liberia's National Kickball League. Jackson, an American, tried to teach the girls baseball but quickly realized they were much better at hitting the ball with their feet. That was the start of what became a custom for girls in the country of about 5.6 million people. 'When you're a girl growing up in Liberia, you will play kickball,' Whea said. Kickball is played in other parts of the world, including in the United States, where it is a common elementary school game for girls and boys. But only in Liberia is there a women-only professional league. A league for women and peace The National Kickball League was created in 1994 to bring people together as Liberia was reeling from a civil war. The league was set up 'to bring the ladies together and use them (as part of) the reconciliation process of Liberia,' Whea said. 'We had just left the civil war, and everybody had just scattered … So kickball was one of those sports used to bring Liberians together so they could have the time to hear the peace messages.' Whea has big plans for the league, including expanding it to men and introducing the game to other African countries. However, his mission has been complicated by a lack of resources, especially in a region where women's sports often are underfunded. Saydah A. Yarbah, a 29-year-old mother of two, admits it is hard to make ends meet on her athlete's salary despite playing kickball for 10 years. Her earnings are 'not even near' what male athletes earn, she said. An all-women sport headed by men In Liberia, many sports, including soccer, are male-dominated. Despite kickball being a sport played by women, the league is led by men from the coaches to the referees and league officials. The league encourages women but they really don't want to be coaches, Whea said. 'Their husbands might have a problem with them working full time (and) for some, their relationship will not allow it,' he said Yarbah plans to change that narrative by becoming a coach when she retires, allowing her to share her passion for the sport with others, including her two sons, she said. 'They are not going to play kickball for now,' she said. 'But probably in the future, they are going to introduce kickball to men.' For the moment, kickball remains a women's game. Men sometimes come during their practice, Yarbah said, but they do not stand a chance. 'They don't know the techniques of the game,' she said. 'So we always win.' ___ For more on Africa and development: The Associated Press receives financial support for global health and development coverage in Africa from the Gates Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find the AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at
Hamilton Spectator
7 days ago
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
In Liberia's version of baseball, there are no bats and no men
MONROVIA, Liberia (AP) — It was a perfect pitch. The ball sped straight across home plate, where it was met with an equally powerful kick. Perryline Jimmie sprinted toward first base after her kick as her teammates erupted in cheers on the sidelines. Jimmie, 23, is a professional player of kickball, a close cousin of baseball that is beloved by women in Liberia and played all over the country from schoolyards to public squares and dirt fields. Since its introduction in the 1960s, it has become the nation's second-most popular sport after soccer. Kickball in Liberia has the rules of baseball but there are no bats, and players kick a soccer ball instead of the larger, lightweight ball used for the game in other places. There also are no men. 'In Liberia, (kickball) is our tradition,' said Jimmie, who noted many girls start playing kickball from an early age. 'This is why you see women playing kickball in Liberia.' How kickball came to Liberia In 1964, Peace Corps volunteer Cherry Jackson noticed that, unlike boys, the students at the all-girls school where she taught in Monrovia, the capital, didn't play any sports, according to Emmanuel Whea, president of Liberia's National Kickball League. Jackson, an American, tried to teach the girls baseball but quickly realized they were much better at hitting the ball with their feet. That was the start of what became a custom for girls in the country of about 5.6 million people. 'When you're a girl growing up in Liberia, you will play kickball,' Whea said. Kickball is played in other parts of the world, including in the United States, where it is a common elementary school game for girls and boys. But only in Liberia is there a women-only professional league. A league for women and peace The National Kickball League was created in 1994 to bring people together as Liberia was reeling from a civil war . The league was set up 'to bring the ladies together and use them (as part of) the reconciliation process of Liberia,' Whea said. 'We had just left the civil war, and everybody had just scattered ... So kickball was one of those sports used to bring Liberians together so they could have the time to hear the peace messages.' Whea has big plans for the league, including expanding it to men and introducing the game to other African countries. However, his mission has been complicated by a lack of resources, especially in a region where women's sports often are underfunded. Saydah A. Yarbah, a 29-year-old mother of two, admits it is hard to make ends meet on her athlete's salary despite playing kickball for 10 years. Her earnings are 'not even near' what male athletes earn, she said. An all-women sport headed by men In Liberia, many sports, including soccer, are male-dominated. Despite kickball being a sport played by women, the league is led by men from the coaches to the referees and league officials. The league encourages women but they really don't want to be coaches, Whea said. 'Their husbands might have a problem with them working full time (and) for some, their relationship will not allow it,' he said Yarbah plans to change that narrative by becoming a coach when she retires, allowing her to share her passion for the sport with others, including her two sons, she said. 'They are not going to play kickball for now,' she said. 'But probably in the future, they are going to introduce kickball to men.' For the moment, kickball remains a women's game. Men sometimes come during their practice, Yarbah said, but they do not stand a chance. 'They don't know the techniques of the game,' she said. 'So we always win.' ___ For more on Africa and development: The Associated Press receives financial support for global health and development coverage in Africa from the Gates Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find the AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at . Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
