Africa-Press – Liberia. The Embassy of India in Monrovia recently hosted a grand celebration of Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Day, marking more than six decades of India’s flagship capacity-building programme and the official launch of the revamped ITEC Alumni Association of Liberia.
The event brought together senior officials of the Government of Liberia, members of the diplomatic corps, ITEC and ICCR alumni, heads of national institutions, and representatives of security and law-enforcement agencies.
Distinguished guests included H.E. R. Matanokay Tingban, Minister of Mines and Energy, H.E. Ambassador Ethel Davis, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs; Hon. Elijah F. Rufus, Commissioner-General of the Liberia Immigration Service, Hon. Nat Bayjay, Deputy Minister for Technical Services at the Ministry of Information and Hon. John-Charuk Siafa, Mayor of the Monrovia City Corporation, among other senior officials.
Delivering the keynote address, H.E. Ambassador Manoj Bihari Verma, Ambassador of India to Liberia, underscored the importance of the ITEC Programme, established in 1964, which has trained more than 225,000 professionals from over 160 countries, including over 500 Liberians.
Ambassador Verma disclosed that India traditionally offers 70 ITEC training slots annually to Liberia, but this year increased the allocation to 120 slots following full utilization of the previous quota.
He attributed the growth to improved collaboration between the Embassy of India and Liberian partner institutions.
The Ambassador also highlighted India’s continued support for Liberian students through the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) scholarships, including the India-Africa Maitri Scholarship Programme.
He revealed that ten Liberian students have been admitted this year to prestigious Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) including IIT Madras, IIT Delhi, IIT Bombay, and IIT Roorkee while five others are pursuing studies at leading Indian institutions.
Recent ITEC-supported initiatives include specialized training for Liberian mining officers, leadership and management programmes for nurses, capacity-building for law-enforcement and public-sector institutions, and the participation of four Liberian legislators in the 37th Parliamentary Internship Programme in New Delhi.
Ambassador Verma reaffirmed India’s commitment to Liberia’s development, guided by the philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam—“the whole world is one family.”
Speaking on behalf of the Government of Liberia, H.E. Ambassador Ethel Davis, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, conveyed apologies from Foreign Minister H.E. Madam Sara Beysolow Nyanti, who was unable to attend due to official duties.
Ambassador Davis described ITEC as “a strategic partnership rather than an act of charity,” noting that the programme has strengthened Liberia’s human capital and institutional capacity.
She praised ITEC alumni as “true ambassadors of the Liberia-India partnership,” urging them to move beyond individual achievements and work collectively to support Liberia’s national development agenda under the leadership of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai Sr.
A major highlight of the celebration was the inauguration of the revamped Liberia Alumni of India Trained Professionals (LAITP-ITEC), jointly launched by Ambassador Verma and Ambassador Davis.
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