University of Liberia Campuses in Dire Condition: Several Students Demand Urgent Renovations.

Fendall Paynesville, Liberia : The University of Liberia, established in 1862, marks 163 years of operation in 2025. However, the institution continues to grapple with longstanding issues, as students voice frustration over its deteriorating campuses and the repeated postponement of academic activities.

University of Liberia Campus Capitol Hill

Recently, the administration announced the temporary closure of the university, citing two primary reasons: the need for extensive renovations across the university’s campuses, including the Graduate School building on Capitol Hill, and financial constraints due to a low budget. However, this announcement has not been met with approval by students, who argue that despite the university generating substantial revenue from entrance fees, the funds are not being used for essential campus improvements.

Several students have raised concerns over the university’s management of funds, questioning why the money collected from entrance fees isn’t being allocated to address the urgent need for renovations. One student remarked, “I’m a student of the university, but our administrators aren’t doing well for us. The entire building is in disrepair. Why can’t they use the money from entrance fees to renovate the UL buildings?”

Amid these grievances, the Vanguard Students’ Unification Party (SUP) organized a protest on January 6, 2024, demanding the immediate reopening of the university. The protesters, chanting “No school, no State of the Nation Address,” called on President Joseph Boakai’s government to prioritize the reopening of the institution.

SUP Chairman Sylvester Wheeler accused the government of neglecting the university and misusing public funds, claiming the government spends excessively on international travel rather than addressing the needs of students. He warned that failure to reopen the university by January 13 could result in “revolutionary action.”

The protest coincided with the appointment of Madam Layli Maparyan as the new President of the University of Liberia by President Boakai, further fueling the ongoing tensions between students and the administration.

The University of Liberia operates four campuses: the Capitol Hill campus in Monrovia, the Fendall campus in Louisiana, the Medical School campus in Congo Town, and the Straz-Sinje campus in Sinje, Grand Cape Mount County. As West Africa’s oldest degree-granting institution, the university offers undergraduate and graduate programs, awarding bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees.

Despite these academic credentials, the institution’s ongoing infrastructure problems and financial management concerns continue to frustrate students and graduates, who are calling for the reopening of the university and the much-needed renovation of its campuses.