Africa-Press – Liberia. Minister-Designate for Youth and Sports Cornelia Kruah has pledged an inclusive, transformative, and outcomes-driven agenda for Liberia’s young people, vowing to place youth development at the center of national governance if confirmed by the Liberian Senate.
Addressing Senators during her confirmation hearing on Monday, Kruah struck an emotional, far-reaching tone, speaking directly to young people across the country and underscoring her commitment to serving without exclusion.
“To the young people listening across Liberia from Cape Mesurado to Cape Palmas, especially the young girls, this is my promise: I will be your Minister, working and fighting for you every single day,” she declared.
Emphasizing inclusivity, Kruah said her leadership would embrace all segments of Liberia’s youth population, regardless of geography, ability, or social status.
She also highlighted marginalized and often overlooked groups, including “the youth struggling with drug addiction and who craves rehabilitation in Zwedru, the student-athlete in Careysburg, and the young diasporan Liberian.”
Kruah told the Senate that, upon confirmation, she would immediately focus on restoring the Ministry’s core mandate of national coordination of youth and sports development.
She acknowledged the groundwork laid by her predecessor, stating that her leadership would be guided by existing frameworks and collective national input.
“I will be guided by the National Youth Policy and Strategic Plan developed by my predecessor, Cllr. Jeror Cole Bangalu, and his team, and the thousands of young people and partners who contributed to it,” Kruah stated, adding that she looks forward to building upon that legacy, including championing a review of the 1982 Act that established the Ministry.
Kruah stressed that youth development must no longer be treated as a secondary concern, noting that it must become the Ministry’s central purpose in a country where nearly 75 percent of the population is below 35.
She outlined a coordinated, whole-of-government strategy through a Youth Outcome Compact, bringing together multiple institutions to deliver measurable results.
Highlighting gaps in skills training and opportunity, she said reforms must focus on real outcomes, insisting that TVET, the creative economy, internships, apprenticeships, and digital training must translate into meaningful employment and livelihoods for young people.
On sports, Kruah emphasized a shift from isolated events to structured systems, saying sports must become a vehicle for talent development, national unity, and economic opportunity, with County Meets serving as platforms for reconciliation and structured talent discovery.
Despite acknowledging the challenges ahead, Kruah said her vision remains clear and anchored on one unifying theme — pathways — supported by five pillars: governance and systems alignment; architecture and ecosystems; sports for development; financing and resource mobilization; and research and design.
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