By Laurina B. Lormia
Minister of State Without Portfolio, Mamaka Bility, is leading a high-powered study tour to South Africa, where she is engaging with key institutions including the University of South Africa (UNISA) and the Department of Planning, Monitoring, and Evaluation (DPME) in the Presidency.
The ongoing visit, held under the invitation of South Africa’s Minister in the Presidency for Planning, Monitoring, and Evaluation, Maropene Ramokgopa, is centered on forming a transformative partnership that will directly benefit Liberia’s Presidential Delivery Unit (PDU) the critical department overseen by Minister Bility under the Office of President Boakai.
Speaking at the University of South Africa, UNISA, where Minister Bility paid a courtesy visit to the Principal and Vice-Chancellor Professor Puleng LenkaBula, emphasized the urgency of building capacity from within Liberia’s existing public service workforce.
“We currently have dedicated staff within the Presidential Delivery Unit. Rather than replacing them, we want to empower them through structured distance learning in Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E),”.
UNISA is a natural partner for us. With your expertise in distance education and curriculum development, we can design a program tailored for Liberia’s realities.
UNISA, Africa’s largest and oldest open-distance learning institution, boasts over 400,000 students globally, cutting-edge research platforms, and specialized programs in governance, public administration, and development planning.
This makes it an ideal partner for Liberia’s ambition to professionalize and modernize its public service delivery mechanisms.
During the engagements, the two parties discussed co-developing customized training modules for project managers, engineers, and technicians working within the government framework.
A shared emphasis was placed on scalability, sustainability, and localization of skills, prioritizing not just training, but also creating systems to retain and apply that knowledge across Liberia’s growing development sectors.
In a powerful statement of intent, UNISA’s Principal and Vice-Chancellor LenkaBula pledged full institutional support, affirming, “This partnership speaks to our core mission to empower Africans through knowledge. As we’ve done in Sudan, Ethiopia, and Eritrea, we will work with Liberia to build agile, self-sufficient institutions that can drive transformation from within,” she said.
The tour also highlights the role of academia in Africa’s economic and political integration. Discussions extended to agricultural education, infrastructure training programs, and youth empowerment.
With USAID’s support currently frozen, Liberia is seeking homegrown solutions like school garden programs to build resilience in food systems and nutrition for school-aged children.
UNISA’s agricultural sciences department was proposed as a potential technical partner in this effort.
South Africa’s Ambassador to Liberia, Prof. Iqbal Jhazbhay, participated in the discussions, ensuring that this collaboration reflects both academic and diplomatic intergovernmental dimensions.
This partnership is not without historical significance. The relationship between South Africa and Liberia dates back to Liberia’s vocal support during the anti-apartheid movement.
Former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf once delivered a keynote lecture at UNISA, further solidifying the academic ties between the two countries.
As Minister Bility noted, “This tour is not just about capacity building, it’s about building a bridge between two African countries that understand the value of solidarity, knowledge, and shared development.
“We are not here just to learn; we are here to collaborate, innovate, and build systems that will serve our people for generations.
The visit is expected to last for 6 days and will conclude with the drafting of a Memorandum of Understanding between the PDU and UNISA, setting the stage for a long-term, impact-driven partnership focused on excellence, empowerment, and African-led development.
Bility Leads Study Tour Delegate To South Africa
