150 Young Liberians to Benefit from US$1 Million Agricultural Jobs Initiative

 Agriculture Minister Dr. J. Alexander Nuetah has launched a US$1 million Green Jobs for Youth in Resilient Agrifood Systems project, targeting 150 young people in Bong County with opportunities to develop sustainable employment and businesses in Liberia’s agricultural sector.

Speaking at the launch on Monday, Minister Nuetah emphasized the importance of investing in young people, describing them as central to the country’s future development.

“If we target the youth, we are targeting the future of this country,” he said.

The initiative follows a US$1 million grant agreement signed on August 11, 2026, between the Ministry of Agriculture and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA). It seeks to expand employment opportunities for rural youth, particularly in the rice and cassava value chains.

The pilot will be implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), as part of an approximately US$13 million regional initiative covering Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria from 2026 to 2030.

Minister Nuetah stressed that the initiative must go beyond providing training, urging implementing partners to establish practical support systems that will enable beneficiaries to turn their acquired skills into viable businesses.

He identified agricultural production, produce aggregation and farm input distribution as potential areas where young people could establish businesses.

“What opportunities can be provided there beyond training?” the Minister asked, emphasizing the need to address limited access to start-up capital and other resources that could prevent trained participants from entering the agricultural market.

He also thanked the Republic of Korea for its support and called for the timely implementation of the project.

For his part, KOICA Country Director for Liberia, Kim Eunsub, reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to working with the Government of Liberia and FAO to advance youth employment through agriculture.

Kim noted that Liberia was the first of the three participating countries to sign the Record of Discussions, describing the development as an important step toward implementing the regional initiative.

He called on the Project Steering Committee to clearly define responsibilities and strengthen coordination, monitoring and implementation.

“While each country has its own priorities and context, we share a common goal to ensure that the youth can see agriculture and agri-business as viable pathways to decent work, innovation and economic growth,” Kim said.

Meanwhile, FAO Representative Saeed Abubakar Bansi emphasized the need to ensure that young women are placed at the center of the initiative, with equal opportunities to access agricultural skills, financing, technology and markets.

Bansi reaffirmed FAO’s readiness to provide technical expertise in climate-smart agriculture, rural employment and agribusiness development.

“Let us ensure that when we look back on this initiative in the years ahead, we speak not simply about activities completed or people trained, but about green jobs created, businesses established, incomes improved and communities transformed,” he said.

The Bong County pilot is expected to provide practical lessons for determining whether and how the initiative can be expanded. Its success will largely depend on the project’s ability to create sustainable income opportunities and provide young people with the resources needed to establish and grow businesses across the agricultural value chain.