Gbarnga, Bong County – As President Joseph Nyumah Boakai’s National Digital Skills Training Program, designed to empower 10,000 young Liberians, launches across the country, the Gbarnga, Bong County session has encountered a significant snag.
Phase one of the project, which was expected to kick off on August 12 at the Bong County Technical College (BCTC), has been abruptly postponed due to lack of necessary logistical equipment, raising concerns about the program’s execution and broader implications for the administration’s digital empowerment agenda.
The program, highly anticipated in the region, promised to provide 6,000 young people with essential skills in various digital competencies, including Basic Digital Skills, E-Commerce, Digital Marketing, and Digital Surveys. However, the launch in Gbarnga has been marred by confusion and logistical failures, leaving participants frustrated and questioning the program’s management.
The Steering Committee Chair of the National Digital Skills Training Program and Acting Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA) Chairperson, Abdullah L. Kamara, had arrived in Bong County ahead of the scheduled start date to ensure everything was in place.
Despite these efforts, unresolved issues between the BCTC administration and the service provider have delayed the start of the training, exposing serious flaws in coordination and planning.
On Tuesday, August 12, 2024 in Gbarnga City , eager participants gathered at the BCTC, expecting to begin their training. Instead, they were redirected to the Dolokelen Gboveh High School campus to collect T-shirts, a move that only added to the confusion.
Participants were then told to report back to the BCTC campus the following day, only to be informed once again that the training had been postponed until August 19, 2024, due to the unavailability of necessary facilities and equipment.
An insider, speaking anonymously to our reporter, confirmed the logistical issues:
“The training has been postponed to Monday, August 19, 2024, because the administration said there is no facility for the training on the BCTC campus, and we don’t have the logistical equipment. The Liberia Telecommunications Authority will call or text you all to inform you about the training.”
This delay in Gbarnga comes at a particularly sensitive time for President Boakai, who, in his first State of the Nation address, emphasized the importance of digital literacy as a cornerstone of his administration’s economic empowerment strategy.
The program’s failure to launch as planned in one of Liberia’s key counties casts a shadow over the government’s commitment to its own initiatives and raises questions about its ability to deliver on critical promises.
The postponement is especially concerning given that training sessions are proceeding in other parts of the country, including at J.W. Pearson High School, Bassa High, Zedrew Multilateral, and Christian Academy in Nimba, Grand Bassa, Grand Gedeh, and Margibi Counties, respectively. The disparity in execution between these regions and Bong County may highlight deeper systemic issues within the project’s rollout.
For the young people of Gbarnga, this setback is more than just a delay—it is a blow to their aspirations and trust in the government’s ability to provide them with the tools they need to thrive in a digital economy. Many had hoped that this training would be a stepping stone to better job opportunities and economic stability, only to be met with uncertainty and disorganization.
“The situation is disappointing,” said one participant. “We were excited to learn new skills that could help us secure better futures, but now we don’t know when or if that will happen. The government needs to do better.”
The Boakai administration now faces the urgent task of addressing the logistical and administrative failures that have plagued the Gbarnga training program. To regain public confidence, swift action is needed to ensure that the program proceeds as promised and that similar issues do not arise in other regions.
Moreover, this incident should serve as a wake-up call to the government to strengthen its project management and oversight capabilities, particularly for initiatives that are central to its policy agenda.
The success of the National Digital Skills Training Program is not just about training 10,000 young people—it is about demonstrating the government’s ability to execute its vision effectively and inclusively.
As the eyes of the nation turn to Gbarnga, the question remains: can the Boakai administration turn this setback into an opportunity for improvement, or will this glitch in the system be the first of many in its broader digital transformation efforts?
By: Matalay Kollie, Correspondent
