By: Dr. Joshua D.B. Giddings
Nelson Mandela once stated that “Education is the most powerful weapon to change the world,” a truth reflected in the development of nations that invest heavily in educating their populations. Liberia, though rich in natural resources, continues to lag behind because its human resource capacity remains weak. With a population of over 5.7 million and an illiteracy rate exceeding 50%, Liberia’s low investment in education has contributed to poor educational outcomes and underdevelopment.
This persistent underinvestment led lecturers and professors at nine rural public universities and colleges under the Rural Universities and Colleges Faculty Association of Liberia (RUCFAL) to stage a go-slow action on September 24, 2025. Their grievance: long-standing salary disparities between academic staff in rural institutions and their counterparts at the University of Liberia and Tubman University, despite having similar qualifications and performing comparable work. Some rural lecturers earn as low as US$300–$500 per month, while others in administrative roles earn US$1,500–$5,000. RUCFAL argues that such inequality violates Article 18 of the Liberian Constitution and the Decent Work Act of 2015, both of which guarantee equal pay for equal work.
Historical data shows Liberia consistently falling short of international education financing benchmarks. While the global target for education spending is 4.1% of GDP and 20% of national budgets, Liberia spent only 2.41% of GDP on education in 2023 and roughly 11–13% of its national budget. Neighboring Sierra Leone, with similar challenges, spends far more and meets global targets. Liberia’s tertiary educational attainment also remains low: in 2019 only 7.6% of its adult population held bachelor’s degrees, and 5.4% held master’s degrees.
RUCFAL recommends increased government support, including an additional US$6.5 million for rural institutions, noting that the current budget allocation is insufficient to address salaries, operations, and quality improvements. They ended their go-slow only after the Senate promised intervention.
Observers such as Martin K. N. Kollie and Dr. Clarence Moniba attribute Liberia’s inability to fund education adequately to wasteful government spending, including extraordinarily high salaries for legislators and an oversized government structure. Reducing these costs, they argue, could free millions for sectors like education, enabling fair salary structures for all public employees.
Education is one of the key pillars of the current government’s ARREST Agenda, and this moment presents an opportunity for transformational reform. Liberia’s educational system—its foundation weakened by decades of neglect—requires urgent action to avoid collapse. Addressing salary and benefit disparities in public tertiary institutions is vital not only for fairness but also for improving instructional quality, strengthening human resource capacity, and enhancing Liberia’s global standing in educational investment.
Ultimately, resolving these issues demands political will, structural reforms, and genuine commitment to President Boakai’s call to “Think Liberia, Love Liberia, and Build Liberia.” The government must act decisively to rescue the nation’s education sector, honor constitutional rights, and support the academic professionals who drive Liberia’s development.”
