“Liberia Needs Problem-Solvers, Not Professional Critics” | News

Nimba County Superintendent Kou Meapeh Gono has challenged graduates of Nimba University to transform their academic achievements into meaningful contributions to national development, urging them to become problem-solvers, innovators, and responsible citizens committed to building a better Liberia.

Speaking as keynote orator during the university’s 9th Graduation Convocation on Saturday, June 20, 2026, Superintendent Gono told the 235 graduates that earning a degree should mark the beginning of a lifelong commitment to service, integrity, discipline, and excellence.

The ceremony, held under the theme, “From Degree to Impact – Building Nimba Through Discipline, Purpose and Excellence,” celebrated graduates from the institution formerly known as Nimba County Community College.

Addressing the graduates, Gono acknowledged the sacrifices many had made to reach graduation day, including years of lectures, assignments, examinations, research work, sleepless nights, financial challenges, and personal struggles.

“Today, you are just a few minutes away from earning your degrees that make you qualified,” she said. “But allow me to say that qualification alone is not enough. A degree certifies what you know, but character determines how far you go.”

She emphasized that Liberia and Nimba County need graduates who are prepared to contribute solutions to the country’s challenges rather than merely criticize existing problems.

“Our country does not need educated militants, but needs educated problem-solvers,” she declared. “It does not need more professional critics; rather, the country needs builders.”

According to her, the future of the country depends on graduates who are willing to use their education to solve practical problems, strengthen institutions, and make meaningful contributions to society.

Gono stressed that academic qualifications alone are no longer sufficient in today’s competitive job market, noting that employers increasingly place greater value on integrity, discipline, and accountability.

“The job market does not only reward competence; it rewards integrity,” she said.

She explained that employers often assess prospective employees beyond their academic records and qualifications.

“Employers are looking beyond just your transcript,” she said. “They will ask: Can this person be trusted? Can he show up to work on time? Will this person protect institutional resources? Will this person do the right thing even when nobody is watching?”

The Superintendent noted that honesty, punctuality, discipline, and accountability are qualities that distinguish outstanding professionals from average workers.

“Because integrity is doing the right thing when nobody is clapping, punctuality is not punishment, discipline is not oppression, and accountability is not an inconvenience,” she told the graduates. “These are the qualities that make people valuable.”

She warned that academic credentials alone cannot guarantee success if they are not accompanied by strong moral values and responsible conduct.

“Degrees without these attributes become framed certificates hanging on walls with little impact on society,” she cautioned.

Gono also challenged the graduates to reject what she described as a culture of endless criticism and instead focus on becoming agents of change and development.

“For too long, Liberia has produced graduates who have left the university but have refused to leave behind the mentality of endless criticism,” she said. “It is not good to become experts in complaints—become experts in solutions.”

She reminded the graduating class that history remembers individuals who create solutions and improve society rather than those who merely identify problems.

“History has never remembered those who merely identified problems, but those who solved them,” she said. “The bridge builder is remembered, the inventor is remembered, the reformer is remembered, and the servant leader is also remembered.”

The Superintendent encouraged the graduates to embrace values that would enable them to become leaders and catalysts for transformation in their communities and workplaces.

“Choose integrity over shortcuts, excellence over mediocrity, service over selfishness, and solutions over complaints,” she urged.

Gono also expressed concern over the relatively low number of graduates emerging from Nimba University’s technical and science-related programs despite the county’s growing need for skilled professionals in those areas.

Nimba University currently operates six colleges, including the College of Agriculture and Food Sciences, College of Health Sciences, College of Business and Public Administration, College of Education and Social Sciences, College of Engineering and Geo Sciences, and the College of Natural Sciences.

She noted that the College of Engineering and Geo Sciences and the College of Natural Sciences continue to produce fewer graduates compared to other disciplines and encouraged university authorities to strengthen enrollment and training in those programs to better meet the county’s development needs.

University officials also highlighted several challenges affecting the institution’s growth and expansion, including limited budgetary support, inadequate auditorium facilities, and a shortage of dormitory accommodations for students traveling from distant parts of the country.

Despite these challenges, the university graduated 235 students during the ceremony. More than 65 students earned bachelor’s degrees, while others received associate degrees and certificates. Approximately 30 students also completed vocational training programs in building trades, including plumbing, electricity, and auto mechanics.

As the graduates celebrated their academic achievements, the ceremony ended with a renewed call for them to apply their knowledge, skills, and talents toward advancing development and creating positive change across Nimba County and Liberia as a whole.

For Superintendent Gono, the true value of education will not be measured by the certificates graduates receive, but by the impact they make in their communities, workplaces, and the nation’s continued development.