Liberia’s 26th President Joseph Nyumah Boakai was born in the remote village of Worsonga in Foya District, Lofa County, on November 30, 1944.
He attended primary and high school in Sierra Leone and Liberia before graduating from the College of West Africa. He later graduated from the University of Liberia in 1972 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration.
He is married to Kartumu Boakai and they have four children.
Boakai is a Baptist and a deacon of the Effort Baptist Church who have worked in both the public and private sector. He worked as a resident manager (1973–1980) and managing director (1980–1982) for the Liberia Produce Marketing Corporation (LPMC). From 1983 to 1985, he served as Minister of Agriculture under President Samuel Doe.
While Minister of Agriculture, Boakai chaired the 15 nation West African Rice Development Association. In 1992, he was the managing director of the Liberia Petroleum Refinery Company (LPRC). He later worked as a consultant to the World Bank in Washington, and also founded a firm dealing in agricultural equipment and consultancy. He has served as board chairman of the Liberia Wood Management Corporation and of the Liberia Petroleum Refining Company. He announced his intention to run for the Liberian presidency which was scheduled for 10 October 2017.
He is the standard bearer of the Unity Party (UP) who served as Liberia’s 29th Vice President from 2006 to 2018, under President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and as the Minister of Agriculture from 1983 to 1985.
The President-elect Boakai supervised and personally financed a 7-mile rural village road construction near Warsonga, Liberia and also worked with the Federation of Liberian Youth (FLY) and the Danish Youth to construct a school for 150 students and clinic for a community of 10 villages. He was active in organizing and fund raising for rural electrification of Foya Kama in Lofa County, Northern Liberia.
Before serving as Vice President, Boakai also consulted with a number of institutions including serving as Chief Technical Advisor on Agriculture Policy, Ministry of Agriculture. He reviewed and evaluated the Liberian 1986 proposed Green Revolution and FAO World Bank 1986 Agricultural sector Review Document and evaluated AMSCO, Amsterdam Funded training program for projects in Uganda in 1994 and Tanzania in 1996.
He is the owner of LUSU Resource Corporation and co-owner of AGROMACHINES Liberia.
Boakai has served on many boards, including as chairman of Liberia Finance and Trust Corporation, chairman of the board of Star Radio, member of the board of LOIC, member of the board of the Liberia Baptist Theological Seminary, founding member of Bethesda Christian Mission, founding organizer-African Methodist Episcopal University, founding organizer of the C.W.A. Methodist University, ambassador of the Liberia YMCA, president of LUSU Resource Corporation, and ex-president of the Monrovia Rotary Club.
As the president of the Liberian Senate and presided over plenary sessions of that body for two days each week. He also performed supervisory functions over a number of institutions and agencies including the Liberia National Lotteries (LOTTO), the Liberia Marketing Association (LMA), the Liberia Agency for Community Empowerment (LACE), and the National Commission on Disarmament Demobilization Resettlement and Reintegration (NCDDRR).
During the first round of the 2017 elections where none of the candidates who contested was able to obtain 50% +1 votes to become the country’s next president, president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf stated on several occasions that she was supporting her Vice President.
After the first round, she openly said that she is not supporting either of the two candidates who made it to the run-off but Boakai was defeated by former football legend, George M. Weah, in the run-off of the 2017 presidential runoff.
With a vision to unite the diverse fabric of Liberia, the UP presidential candidate said he is committed to fostering inclusive growth, ensuring social justice, and empowering every citizen. Through sustainable development, quality education, and job creation, together we will build a resilient nation where every Liberian can thrive and prosper.
In his platform, the former Vice President opt for building a brighter future, noting that his vision is to transform and unite Liberia
With a vision centered on implementing six key pillars to propel Liberia forward which include macroeconomic Stability and Infrastructural Development; Health, WASH, The Environment & Climate; Change; Human Capacity Development; Governance & Rule of Law; Gender, Youth, Children & Social Protection and Anti-Corruption, he carried a a Mission & Vision is to fight for social and economic justice which had never been urgent.
He now ascends to the helm of power with 814, 481 votes constituting 50.64 percent on the slogan: Let’s build Liberia, Love Liberia and Think Liberia.
credits from: GNN-Liberia
