ECOWAS Resident Representative to Liberia, Ambassador Josephine Nkrumah, says national development and youth empowerment cannot be achieved without a deliberate focus on mindset transformation.
Speaking during a radio interview with journalist Varflay Kamara, Nkrumah stressed that discipline, hard work, honesty, and the pursuit of excellence are essential values that shape strong nations.
“It doesn’t matter how much you want a job or start a business if you don’t have the right mindset, you will fail. A nation that is not intentional about mindset development, whether at home, in schools, in churches, sports, or the workplace, risks losing its future,” she said.
According to her, Liberia’s young population has enormous potential and is hungry for success, but many lack the right guidance. She explained that guidance must be twofold: technical skills for employment or enterprise, and the right mentality to sustain opportunities. “If you are given work but you consistently come late, perform poorly, or refuse to pursue excellence, you cannot expect promotion or progress. This is why we need to invest more in our youth,” Nkrumah added.
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She revealed that Liberia will soon host the ECOWAS Youth and Sports Development Center, describing it as a major opportunity for Liberian youth, who form the country’s largest demographic.
At the same time, Nkrumah highlighted ECOWAS’ ongoing social protection initiatives. These include support to at-risk youth, drug rehabilitation centers, orphanages, and the elderly. She said such efforts align with ECOWAS’ recently launched 2025-2026 Social Protection Framework, which places vulnerable groups at the center of regional development.
Addressing the growing drug crisis, she noted that last year her office supported rehabilitated drug dependents with starter kits ranging from bakery and tailoring tools to soap-making and construction equipment. More than 60 percent, she said, are now gainfully employed.
Still, she warned that the war against drugs is far from won. “We must stop treating drug abuse simply as a crime and instead focus on rehabilitation. Criminalizing victims only leads to discrimination and exclusion. Standardized detoxification and rehabilitation are essential if we are to save our youth,” she stressed, calling for greater intelligence-sharing and regional cooperation to curb trafficking and consumption.
Nkrumah further noted that ECOWAS’ anniversary celebrations this year will prioritize Liberia’s vulnerable population. Donations will be made to rehabilitation centers, orphanages, and the elderly as a way of showing that ECOWAS remains “an institution of the people.”
“Whether it is drug dependents, orphans, or the elderly, they must not be forgotten. They are part of society, and we must be intentional about reintegrating them. By caring for the vulnerable, we secure the future of our nation,” she concluded.
Ambassador Josephine Nkrumah explained that this year’s initiative follows a similar approach to previous engagements. She noted that when it comes to drug rehabilitation, most of the facilities are concentrated in Monrovia, which is considered the epicenter. “That’s why we selected participants mainly from here,” she said.
Turning to elderly care, Ambassador Nkrumah admitted it was a particularly challenging area. “We realized that Liberia does not even have a proper database or institution catering exclusively to the elderly. There was one facility that had shut down, and another that existed but was not strictly for the elderly it housed a mix of different people. Our focus, however, was specifically on the elderly, which made selection difficult. We also had to work within the limited budget of the Resident Representative’s Office, not funding from ECOWAS headquarters.”
She emphasized that despite resource constraints, the effort was meant to send a clear reminder: “Let us not forget the elderly. They are part of us. We wish we could have included more vulnerable groups, but we hope this initiative continues. Most importantly, we want to remind society that vulnerable people form a key component of who we are as a community.”
Ambassador Nkrumah further highlighted ECOWAS’ social protection framework, which focuses on supporting vulnerable groups. “If you look at the humanitarian assistance ECOWAS has provided over the last few years, you will see that we are introducing a new strand of social protection. Globally, social protection is shifting toward measures like cash transfers, insurance schemes, and climate-smart, resilient practices. ECOWAS has embarked on these initiatives here in Liberia as well.”
She cited recent partnerships with NADCO and the Liberian National Red Cross. “Just a few months ago, we unveiled another program that provides cash transfers, distributes nutritious food, and teaches climate-smart practices to build resilient communities in the face of climate change. Climate change is no longer a future concern; it is here with us. We see its impact in floods, mudslides, and other disasters across West Africa, and Liberia is not spared.”
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According to her, ECOWAS has placed humanitarian assistance within the social protection framework as a top priority to support Liberians affected by such disasters.
During the interview, she was asked about ECOWAS’ long-term presence and development framework in Liberia, particularly up to 2029. Ambassador Nkrumah responded: “The long-term goal of ECOWAS in Liberia, as in other member states, is to strengthen partnerships and ensure that member countries adopt agendas, action plans, policies, and regulations that promote regional integration. Ultimately, our aim is to build real cohesion and integration across West Africa.”
She stressed that this integration is not limited to politics. “It covers social protection, economic prosperity, good governance, and other areas outlined in ECOWAS protocols to which Liberia, like many member states, is committed. The challenge, however, is implementation. Sometimes, progress looks uneven across member states, but the commitment to integration remains central to ECOWAS’ vision.”
