A new wave of scrutiny has emerged over government spending on youth development after political figure Simeon Freeman questioned the impact of nearly US$23.9 million allocated to Liberia’s Ministry of Youth and Sports between 2023 and 2026.
In a pointed public statement, Freeman challenged whether the substantial budget has translated into measurable economic opportunities for young Liberians. He argued that while the ministry was originally established in 1982 under former President Samuel Doe to promote youth empowerment and sports development, decades later, unemployment among young people remains alarmingly high.
Freeman noted that the ministry reportedly maintains a workforce of 437 employees and is projected to consume US$23.9 million over a four-year period. Despite this investment, he contends that there is limited evidence of sustainable programs that have significantly reduced youth joblessness or created scalable economic platforms.
“One of the Ministry’s central mandates is to develop and implement youth opportunity programs,” Freeman stated. “Yet young people continue to face widespread unemployment, and there is no landmark initiative since 1982 that has fundamentally changed their economic outlook.”
Beyond employment programs, Freeman also questioned the ministry’s sports-related expenditures. He suggested that certain responsibilities—such as organizing national competitions or managing football development—could potentially be streamlined through existing sports institutions, including the Liberia Football Association, rather than sustaining what he characterized as an expensive bureaucratic structure. He further argued that inconsistent performances by the national team, Lone Star, raise concerns about the return on public investment.
Framing his critique within a broader governance context, Freeman proposed that if the US$23.9 million had been redirected toward structured loan programs, entrepreneurship grants, or direct youth enterprise support, the country might have seen more visible job creation and small-business expansion.
He emphasized that policy declarations alone cannot drive development without deliberate, outcome-based strategies. According to Freeman, Liberia’s growing number of university graduates—including bachelor’s and master’s degree holders—continue to struggle to find employment, reflecting systemic gaps between education and economic absorption.
His comments raise key accountability questions: How has the allocated funding been utilized since 2023? What concrete youth programs have been implemented? And what quantifiable outcomes can be linked to the ministry’s current budget cycle?
As Liberia confronts persistent youth unemployment, the debate over public spending efficiency, institutional reform, and economic empowerment is likely to intensify. Freeman concluded by asserting that youth economic transformation would be central to his political agenda, should he assume national leadership.
For now, his remarks amplify public calls for transparency and measurable results in how nearly twenty-four million U.S. dollars are being invested in Liberia’s young population.
