By Bill W. Cooper
The Director General of the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA) is urging graduates of the University of Liberia (UL) not to be complacent after graduation because it is a dream killer.
Madam Emma Glassco noted that by completing a first degree does not mean one should stop learning.
She encouraged students to continue to acquire more knowledge and skills, both in their chosen field and in other areas that could enhance their lives.
The NAAFA boss observed, “Graduation is an exciting time, but it’s also a time when you need to start thinking about the future. You’ve worked hard to get to this point, but there’s still so much more you can achieve. Don’t be complacent; keep striving to be the best version of yourself.”
The NaFAA DG made the statement yesterday, May 30, 2023 when she delivered the keynote address at the University of Liberia’s 103rd commencement convocation from the combined Thomas J.R. Faulkner College of Sciences and Technology, School of Nursing and Midwifery, William R. Tubman Jr College of Agriculture and Forestry, and Engineering Colleges at its Fendell Campus in Louisiana, Montserrado County.
Madam Glasco challenged the graduates to explore new opportunities in the private sector so as to expand the growth of Liberia rather than seeking job opportunities in government immediately after graduation.
“Nation building is a collective effort from everyone, therefore if Liberians should build a new Liberia, everyone must strive in creating a better Liberia urging with collective skills, resources, and innovative ideas by simply thinking outside the box,” she observed.
She recommending diversification in the Liberian academic programs as a step forward to create a prepared nation that would address current and future challenges and urged.
“This should serve as a national call to all educational stakeholders including government and private alike,” she stressed.
She averred, “Diversification in our academic programs is an essential step forward in creating a prepared nation for the future. This should serve as a national call to action for all educational stakeholders including the government, to increase its investments in the educational sector which is practically the only way towards elevating Liberia’s economic status.”
Madam explained that the purpose of the diversification in Liberian academic programs is to increase investments in the educational sector which is practically the only way towards elevating Liberia’s economic status.
According to her, there is an urgent need for academic institutions to create additional programs other than the conventional ones such as medicine, law, accounting, public administration and sociology, and advised administrators of academic institutions not to limit students’ demand to skills development programs and develop variety of skills that can be marketable to the region and the world at large.
Referencing the Republic of Cuba, the Liberian Fisheries Boss mentioned that Liberia can also export its labor force to attract foreign remittances as Cuba exports healthcare services by means of sending physicians, nurses and healthcare technicians to other countries as a revenue source.
She said Liberia can do the same or better, giving its record as once having the most sophisticated labor force in West Africa in the 1960s.
She also encouraged the government and the private sectors to consider skills development in order to tap into emerging industries such as the multi-billion dollars Seaweed industry of which Liberia is a natural habitat.
The 103rd graduation keynote speaker indicated that research has shown that seaweed, which is commonly seen as dirt along beaches when it is pushed out by the ocean tides is currently valued at US$17.85 billion and can be used as vegetables, animal feeds, fertilizers, cosmetics, and industrial gums, as Indonesia for example is a leading exporter in this industry followed by America and China.
‘We need to build a society of creativity and innovation using our available resources thus making us more independent and self-sufficient towards becoming an export-based economy instead of an import-based economy. I strongly believe we can grow enough to feed ourselves and share with the world at large,” she added.
Graduation day is often seen as the culmination of years of hard work and dedication, as it is also a time when people celebrate the completion of a major chapter in their lives, and rightfully so.
As much as it may seem like the end of one’s academic journey, on May 30, 2023, over 560 students walked out of the University of Liberia with bachelor degrees in various disciplines.
