Latest news with #Monrovia
Zawya
15 hours ago
- Business
- Zawya
Hope for Liberia's youth as country pioneers African Development Bank-financed Youth Entrepreneurship Investment Bank
Program will turn job seekers into job creators – Liberian President Boakai The future of Liberia's youth cannot be left to hustling – Dr. Adesina Liberia has become the first country to launch an African Development Bank Group initiative ( that will help tackle youth unemployment among African youth. President of the Republic of Liberia, Joseph Nyuma Boakai Sr was joined in the capital Monrovia by the Bank Group's President, Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina for the official launch of the first Youth Entrepreneurship Investment Bank (YEIB) ( on Tuesday 22 July. The Youth Entrepreneurship Investment Banks will promote private sector-led inclusive economic development, by creating entrepreneurship opportunities for young Africans aged 18-35. According to the Bank's Country Focus Report 2025 ( for Liberia, underemployment and informal employment have long undermined the country's ability to harness a key demographic strength. To address these challenges, Liberia's Youth Entrepreneurship Investment Bank is expected to finance 30,000 youth-led businesses, create 120,000 direct and indirect jobs, contribute $80 million to government revenues through taxes, and unlock up to $500 million in additional lending to youth-owned businesses across the country. The Youth Bank is being jointly financed by the African Development Fund—the concessional lending arm of the African Development Bank Group ($15.9 million)—and the Government of Liberia ($1.2 million in in-kind contributions). "[The YEIB] speaks directly to the heart of our future because over sixty percent of our population is under the age of thirty. This program gives hope to our young people by turning them from job seekers into job creators,' said President Boakai. 'It will provide financing, mentorship, and the skills they need to succeed in agriculture, technology, the knowledge based economy, and other emerging sectors.' 'Liberia must not watch as its best assets—its youth—falter,' Adesina said. 'The future of Liberia's youth cannot be left to 'hustling.'' He added that with recruitment ongoing, and licensing expected to be completed shortly, the Liberian YEIB is scheduled to commence operations in early 2026, with a focus on 'critical sectors with immense opportunities for the youth, including agriculture, value addition with agribusiness, digital services, mining and tourism.' Youth entrepreneurship banks have also been approved for Nigeria ( Ethiopia ( and Cote d'Ivoire ( representing a growing commitment to enhancing private sector development through improved financing for entrepreneurs, on a continent where three-quarters of the population are below the age of 35. The Bank has since 1967 invested more than $1.02 billion in 72 projects in Liberia, and as of February 2024, it had an active portfolio of 18 sovereign operations worth $314.77 million, focusing primarily on transport infrastructure, energy development ( and agricultural transformation. These investments include the Mano River Union road network ( connecting Liberia with neighbouring countries, regional power interconnection initiatives, and programs supporting smallholder farmers across the country. The Bank's operations in Liberia are funded through multiple sources, with the African Development Fund—the concessional lending arm of the Bank Group—providing most of the financing, supplemented by the Transition Support Facility ( and various specialized funds including the Nigeria Trust Fund ( Read President Boakai's speech at the YEIB launch here ( Read Dr. Adesina's speech here ( Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB). Media Contacts: Natalie Nkembuh and Tolu Ogunlesi Communication and Media Relations Department media@ About the African Development Bank Group: The African Development Bank Group is Africa's leading development finance institution. It comprises three distinct entities: the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Development Fund (ADF) and the Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF). Represented in 41 African countries, with an external office in Japan, the Bank contributes to the economic development and social progress of its 54 regional member countries. For more information:
Zawya
2 days ago
- Business
- Zawya
Ambassador Yin Chengwu attended Liberia Technology Summit 2025
On July 21, Ambassador Yin Chengwu attended the Liberia Technology Summit 2025 and delivered a speech. The event was also attended by Hon. Haja Mamaka Bility, Acting Minister of States, Hon. Augustine K. Ngafuan, Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Hon. Sekou M. Kromah, Minister of Post and Telecommunications. Representatives from relevant UN agencies and diplomatic missions in Liberia. Yin highlighted the outcomes of the Ministerial Meeting of Coordinators on the Implementation of the Follow-up Actions of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and China's achievements in science and technology. He pointed out that China will establish a global scientific research fund and increase science and technology assistance to developing countries, making technological progress benefits all humanity. He expressed China is willing to strengthen scientific and technological innovation cooperation with Liberia, so as to make it a new engine of China-Liberia strategic partnership. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the Republic of Liberia.
The Independent
6 days ago
- Sport
- The Independent
No bats and no men: Kickball is sweeping the nation of Liberia
The thud of a perfectly pitched ball meeting a powerful kick is a familiar sound across Liberia, where kickball has blossomed into a national obsession. Professional player Perryline Jimmie, 23, embodies the sport's energy, her sprints to first base often met with jubilant cheers from her teammates. A close cousin to baseball, kickball is particularly beloved by women throughout the West African nation. Its pitches and bases can be found in diverse settings, from bustling schoolyards to open public squares and dusty dirt fields. Since its introduction in the 1960s, the sport's widespread appeal has cemented its status as the country's second-most popular, surpassed only by football. 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. 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.'
The Independent
6 days ago
- Sport
- The Independent
In Liberia's version of baseball, there are no bats and no men
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
Washington Post
6 days ago
- Sport
- Washington Post
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.
