By Moses M. Tokpah
editor@news.throngtalk.com
0777130958 / 0886476114
In 2017, then Vice President Joseph Boakai publicly pledged to elevate the Booker T. Washington Institute (BWI) to a junior college, recognizing the institution’s quality facilities, faculty, and visionary administration.
Speaking at BWI’s 88th Founder’s Day in Kakata, he emphasized that the government viewed BWI as critical to Liberia’s development and committed to working toward achieving junior college status for the institute as soon as possible.
Boakai highlighted the importance of BWI in addressing national challenges, such as the shortage of lab technicians revealed during the Ebola crisis, and noted efforts to collaborate with local and international partners to raise educational standards and introduce programs to train vital healthcare professionals.
He also recalled ongoing engagements with U.S. institutions, including Hennepin Technical College in Minnesota, aimed at upgrading BWI’s academic level.
Despite this strong commitment, as of 2025, BWI remains a technical institute without junior college status.
Given the critical role BWI plays in molding skilled professionals and supporting Liberia’s development goals, it is timely to remind President Boakai, now serving as Liberia’s president, to honor his 2017 promise and expedite the elevation of BWI to a junior college.
Such an upgrade would not only formalize BWI’s expanded academic offerings but also enhance its capacity to produce highly skilled graduates essential for Liberia’s socio-economic progress.
With President Boakai’s renewed focus on educational improvements and community college development, including agricultural programs for national self-sufficiency, fulfilling this promise would align well with his broader vision for Liberia’s educational and economic advancement.
The BWI administration and its stakeholders deserve continued government support and clear timelines toward this goal, ensuring that the institution can fully realize its potential as Liberia’s pride and a beacon of technical and junior college education.
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