-As Minister Bility Champions Skills Transfer Alliance with UNISA
Pretoria – In an ambitious initiative aimed at breaking Liberia’s long-standing dependency on foreign technical expertise, Minister Mamaka Bility is spearheading a groundbreaking skills transfer alliance with the University of South Africa (UNISA) during a pivotal diplomatic-academic mission to South Africa. This six-day tour is not merely a formal engagement but a strategic effort to address the urgent need for capacity building within Liberia’s government.
At the core of this initiative is a tailored approach to addressing Liberia’s bureaucratic inefficiencies. UNISA will collaborate with the Presidential Delivery Unit (PDU) to co-design customized Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) programs that will enhance the skills of its existing staff. The program will leverage Targeted Distance Learning to avoid the brain drain that has historically plagued the country, ensuring that civil servants receive high-quality training while remaining in their posts. Additionally, the Contextualized Curriculum will adapt UNISA’s proven governance modules to reflect Liberia’s unique post-war context. The collaboration will also facilitate a South-South Knowledge Exchange, drawing lessons from UNISA’s successful initiatives in countries like Sudan and Eritrea.
“This isn’t about importing experts,” Minister Bility emphasized during crucial discussions with UNISA Vice-Chancellor Prof. Puleng LenkaBula. “We’re investing in our own people to sustainably fix our systems.” This commitment to self-reliance comes at a time when frozen USAID support has prompted Liberia to seek homegrown solutions to its development challenges.
Beyond Academia:
The partnership has deep historical significance, as it revisits the ties formed during Liberia’s advocacy against apartheid. South African Ambassador Iqbal Jhazbhay highlighted the partnership’s broader implications, stating, “This transcends education—it’s pan-African solidarity in action.” This collaboration is seen not only as an educational endeavour but also as a reaffirmation of shared African goals and aspirations.
With alarming statistics revealing that 42% of Liberian children are chronically malnourished, as reported by the World Food Programme in 2024, the delegation is also exploring potential collaborations with UNISA’s agricultural sciences department. Initiatives may include the establishment of school garden programs aimed at combating food insecurity, vocational training for youth in climate-smart farming practices, and knowledge sharing on infrastructure development.
In the lead-up to the anticipated signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Friday, the delegation’s itinerary includes critical engagements: on April 9, they will benchmark with South Africa’s Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME) to discuss results-based governance; on April 10, they aim to finalize tiered training programs specifically designed for engineers and project managers; and on April 11, they will align their partnership with the African Union’s Agenda 2063 education targets.
Professor LenkaBula’s commitment to the initiative was clear: “We’ll help build Liberian institutions that don’t just function—they thrive.” For Minister Bility, this mission represents a fundamental shift in perspective: “Africa’s solutions won’t come from handouts, but from hands joining across borders.” This collaborative spirit aims to forge a new path for Liberia, focusing on sustainable development and self-sufficiency while fostering a sense of unity across the continent.
As this initiative unfolds, it holds the promise of empowering Liberia to reclaim its narrative and build a resilient future for its citizens, demonstrating the potential of African nations to come together in pursuit of collective progress.
