Monrovia – From the crowded lanes of 72nd Community, once the epicenter of Liberia’s Ebola crisis, to the corridors of the National Legislature, Duku Jallah has carved a reputation as one of the country’s most dynamic youth leaders. Now, as he sets his sights on the presidency of the Federation of Liberian Youth (FLY), he insists his journey has prepared him for this moment.
Jallah’s earliest test of leadership came during the Ebola outbreak when, as Youth President of his community, he mobilized young people in one of Monrovia’s hardest-hit neighborhoods. The 72nd Community, which produced Liberia’s first Ebola-linked case to reach the United States, was devastated by the epidemic. Yet it was also there that Jallah’s ability to rally, organize, and deliver solutions was first noticed.
He soon transitioned to national advocacy through Naymote Partners for Democratic Development, where he led the Liberia Decides Initiative during the 2017 elections. Traveling with presidential candidates across the country, he documented campaign promises and amplified youth voices at a time when many young people felt excluded from national debates. That work would later expand into the President’s Meter Project, a groundbreaking effort that tracked the campaign promises of President George Weah against his performance in office.
Jallah also played a central role in building the Young Political Leadership School, now the country’s largest training program for emerging leaders. In 2018, he helped spearhead the “20 percent: Now or Never” campaign, lobbying for a greater share of the national budget to be allocated to education.
Although his bid for the presidency of the Liberia National Student Union ended in disqualification, he used the setback to launch Libpedia, a media-for-the-public-good outlet dedicated to telling stories of young people breaking barriers. Through the platform he created the Future Leaders Town Hall, a forum that connected youth to decision-makers and gave them an active role in shaping national conversations.
By 2020 Jallah had become a household name in youth leadership. As Deputy Secretary for Programs at FLY, he helped organize one of the largest youth-led protests in the country’s history, demanding the government declare rape a national emergency. Later, as Head of Secretariat, he represented Liberian youth both locally and internationally, playing a key role in brokering the Buutuo Declaration, where youth from rival political parties pledged to uphold peace during the 2023 elections.
Today, Jallah serves as Head of Secretariat of the Youth Legislative Caucus at the 55th National Legislature, a role he helped pioneer. The caucus brings together young lawmakers in a coordinated effort to advance youth development. Observers say his work has been instrumental in building a bridge between lawmakers and young citizens. “The legislature often feels distant from the population it represents,” said one political analyst. “What Duku has done is open a door for young people to see the legislature as their space too. That is no small achievement.”
As he campaigns for the presidency of FLY, Jallah is quick to point out that his ambition is not about occupying a title but about restoring relevance to an institution he believes has lost its way. “At the center of my agenda is to make FLY respected and relevant again,” he says. He envisions the organization as a credible partner to government, not a partisan group or opposition bloc. “Just as ECOWAS works with Liberia in the region or the United Nations supports Liberia globally, FLY should stand as government’s partner in advancing the national youth agenda.”
One of his priorities is tackling the unemployment crisis, which he describes as Liberia’s “coming crisis.” His forthcoming book, *The Coming Crisis*, set for release in May, explores the roots of youth joblessness and outlines strategies for reversing the trend. Among his proposals is the establishment of a National Youth Employment Agency and the transformation of FLY into a recruiter of jobs and opportunities for young people. He is also advocating for the revival of the National Cadet Program and the introduction of structured job training programs to ease the transition from school to work.
Jallah also wants FLY to take a leading role in combating the drug crisis. He proposes the creation of community-based taskforces modeled on the Ebola response, while stressing that lasting solutions must also address unemployment. To this end, he calls for the establishment of national youth farms where rehabilitated young people can find meaningful work and avoid returning to frustration and addiction.
His vision also includes the construction of a National Youth Innovation and Creativity Center, which he describes as a hub for ideas, collaboration, and entrepreneurship. Beyond the capital, he intends to seek partnerships for the construction of youth centers in all fifteen counties. Equipped with libraries, office spaces for youth organizations, event halls, and internet access, these centers would serve as engines of community development and spaces where young people can gather to learn, organize, and create.
To sustain these efforts, Jallah is pushing for the creation of a National Youth Development Fund, a dedicated line in the national budget to finance youth innovation and entrepreneurship. He also plans to revive the campaign for 20 percent budgetary commitment to education and to lead international scholarship negotiations with countries like China and Brazil, enabling Liberian youth to study in fields such as artificial intelligence, agriculture, and digital technology.
Supporters say his track record is what sets him apart. “Duku is not just talking, he has lived this work from the ground up,” said a youth activist in Monrovia. “He understands the struggles of young people because he has been with them, in the streets, in the schools, and in the legislature. That is why so many young people believe in his vision.”
Analysts, however, note that transforming FLY into a respected partner will not be an easy task. “The Federation has long struggled with perceptions of partisanship,” said another observer. “If Duku succeeds, it could redefine youth politics in Liberia for a generation.”
Whether he succeeds or not, one thing is certain. *Duku Jallah has placed a bold vision for youth at the center of Liberia’s national conversation.*
