𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐄𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐋𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐜𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐜 𝐄𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓

𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐀𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭 2, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓 | 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐚, 𝐋𝐢𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚

𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐄𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐋𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐜𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐜 𝐄𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓

On Thursday, July 31, 2025, the Minister of Education, Dr. Jarso Maley Jallah, officially inaugurated the 2025 edition of the Liberia National Academic Excellence Award during a well-attended program at the Liberia Learning Center in Paynesville. The Liberia National Academic Excellence Award is an initiative implemented by the Ministry of Education and Educate the NextGen to empower the brightest students in Liberia’s senior secondary schools by finding, honoring, and celebrating them each year.

Mr. Isaac Muapoh, Director of ETN, stated that this year’s edition of the LNAEA will enhance leadership, civic responsibility, digital literacy, innovation, career development, and scholarship access, as well as physical wellness and mental health for the award recipients. He extended special appreciation to Minister Jallah for her support and for enabling a productive partnership through Assistant Minister Sona T. Sesay, whom he praised for her dedication to student development. “Madam Minister, we could not have had a better Student Personnel Services Minister than Minister Sesay,” Mr. Muapoh said, acknowledging her remarkable efforts in working with young people in the sector.

In her remarks, the Minister of Education, Dr. Jallah, a valedictorian of Hope High School in the United States and a Doctoral graduate with a 4.0 GPA, reiterated the significance of celebrating excellence to restore merit and healthy competition in Liberian schools. In addition to the Liberia National Academic Excellence Award, the Minister emphasized the importance of establishing the Liberia National Honors Society as a legacy project for excellence in Liberia and called on Educate the Nextgen to join the Ministry in establishing this. “The Ministry will give priority to the LNAEA class of 2025 as the Ministry reopens the Government local scholarship,” she stated. As a reflection of this commitment, Dr. Jallah awarded Abdullah Sonnie, a 2017 valedictorian of the A.M. Fofana Islamic and English school, a full scholarship to pursue his undergraduate studies at any university locally.

The initiative launched by the Minister garnered instant acclaim from both local and international partners, including the Office of the Speaker of the 55th National Legislature, the Swedish Ambassador, UNICEF, UN Women, UNESCO, SOS Children’s Villages, the National Road Fund, the National Oil Company of Liberia, and the Catholic Relief Service. These organizations welcomed the opportunity to collaborate with the Ministry and ETN to promote the concept through joint efforts.

Moreover, Dr. Layli Maparyan, President of the University of Liberia, pledged to grant those receiving the awards automatic admission to the University of Liberia and membership in the University’s Honors Society, without the requirement to sit the university’s entrance examination. One of ETN’s current partners, BlueCrest University, reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the institution’s activities.

Meanwhile, the United Methodist University and Stella Maris Polytechnic University have both welcomed collaboration with the Ministry and ETN to provide incentives for these students. My Watchman, a local technology company that provides emergency response services, also provided ten internships for ten of this year’s award recipients.

To this end, the Ministry of Education and Educate the NextGen are urging all secondary school students, parents, school administrators, and organizers of academic competitions across Liberia to apply for the Liberia National Academic Excellence Award 2025 if they meet or know someone who meets the criteria listed. Application is officially open until August 22, 2025 at 11:59 pm, and can be accessed here: : https://forms.gle/m897LZJJGnwM7bVL6 or via the Ministry’s Website, Facebook Page, or ETN’s Website and Facebook Page.