Over the years, the State of Georgia has been very committed to the Republic of Liberia and to the former Vice President and now newly elected President, His Excellency Joseph N. Boakai, Sr.

“Our team is honored to host His Excellency Joseph N. Boakai, Sr., the President of the Republic of Liberia and his delegation to focus on the President’s ARREST Agenda (Agriculture, Roads, Rule of Law, Education, Sanitation and Tourism), to help strengthen the Sister Airport Agreement between Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, and the Liberian Airport Authority (LAA) as well as to provide an update on the exciting work of the University Consortium for Liberia (UCL),” stated Honorable Cynthia L. Blandford, former Honorary Consul Republic of Liberia, Editor-in-Chief of International Focus (iF) Magazine and President and CEO of the University Consortium for Liberia (UCL).

President Boakai visited Atlanta, Georgia, May 10-13, 2024, with a strategic focus on furthering discussions relating to a Sister Airport Agreement originally signed in 2017 and again in 2022 between Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the busiest and most efficient airport in the world and the Liberian Airport Authority (LAA).  International Focus (iF) Magazine and the University Consortium for Liberia (UCL) were official hosts of the President and his distinguished delegation including Her Excellency Sara Beysolow Nyanti, Minister of Foreign Affairs during his visit to Atlanta, Georgia.

Meaningful strides have been made since the Sister Airport Agreement was signed.  A highlight is the establishment of a working group to exchange ideas and best practices in the areas of Human Trafficking; Capacity Building, Public Safety; Cargo/Supply Chain Logistics; Customer Experience and Non-Aeronautical Revenue streams. ATL delegates conducted seminars in Liberia in 2020 and advised  on international best practices. Because of ATL’s work in Liberia, the U.S. Department of State presented a USD $20,000 grant to Wellesley Centers for Women, in collaboration with the University Consortium for Liberia (UCL) to help Liberia work it way off the human trafficking watch list. In addition, ATL advised LAA during the implementation phase of a major cargo development project.

In a meeting with the President of Liberia and delegation, ATL’s General Manager Balram Bheodari, Jan Lennon, Deputy General Manager, Operations, Scott Carr, Airport General Manager Commercial Management, and Alrene Richard Barr, Senior Director, Office of Public and International Affairs on May 10th, additional Sister Airport commitments were made to include Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) training, and furthering discussions on Air Service to Liberia including revisiting Delta Air Lines direct flights from Atlanta to Monrovia. With Tourism being a part of the President of Liberia’s ARREST Agenda, Agriculture, Roads, Rule of Law, Education, Sanitation and Tourism, air travel services will be key to helping to promote two-way trade, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and tourism in support of Liberia’s budding surfing industry, historical and cultural sites, lush rain forests, biodiversity, hiking, fishing and sun and fun on the beautiful beaches of Liberia.

Global Logistics Systems (GLS) CEO Peter Malcolm King was in the meeting at ATL and was pleased to announce that Inland Storage & Distribution Facility (ISDF) opened in Liberia in February 2024, which provides a cost-effective and well-maintained warehouse storage solutions. ATL is seeking an African Air Cargo partner and GLS is well suited to be at the forefront of these discussions to help increase two-way trade, including  a potential mail services hub, and the shipping of fresh lobster and fish and agricultural products to Georgia and throughout the USA.  Monrovia used to be known as the seafood capital of the world and the vision to reinstate this title is on the way. Plans are also underway for ATL to visit Liberia to provide training, technical assistance and capacity building to LAA before the end of 2024 and likewise, inviting LAA airport officials to the ATL in the near-term.

The University Consortium for Liberia (UCL), a non-profit organization created in 2009 with the mission to provide “Brighter Futures through Education and Understanding” provides educational scholarships for Liberians, faculty and student exchange programs, international conferences, joint fundraising, research, and curriculum development in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, the University of Liberia and AMEU. Boasting twenty-two international partners between U.S. and Liberian institutions, UCL’s partner Georgia Tech, under the leadership of Provost Steve McLaughlin, Vice Provost for International Initiatives Bernard Kippelen and Professor Michael Best, Executive Director of the Institute for People and Technology and the College of Computing on May 11, 2024, hosted a lunch for the

President of Liberia, partners and stakeholders to provide an update on progress made over the years and new opportunities in support of the President’s ARREST Agenda.  UCL Board members include Dr. Layli Maparyan, Dr. Cheryl Dozier, Dr. Tanae Acolatse, Advisors Dr. BK Robertson, Dr. Saki Golafale, Dr. Michael Best and Honorary Chair Dr. George T. French, President of Clark Atlanta University. Dr. Maparyan and Dr. Dozier along with Dr. Michael Best were present at the lunch meeting.

The University of Georgia, (UGA)’s Dr. Matt Auer, Dean and Professor at UGA announced a recently secured Higher Education for Conservation (HECA) $5Million United States Agency for International Development (USAID) grant with a focus on forestry, biodiversity, conservation and green enterprise development in collaboration with Wellesley Centers for Women, the University Consortium for Liberia, Alabama A&M University, Tuskegee University, the University of Liberia, Forestry Training Institute, ResilentAfrica Network and other stakeholders. Clark Atlanta University, Savannah State University, Fort Valley State University, and Kennesaw State University are also making great strides in support of education for Liberian students and faculty as well as communities in Liberia with special programs and services.   UCL is also courting Morris Brown College who expressed interest in the President’s ARREST agenda with a focus on the Education and Tourism sectors. Turner Theological Seminary was also quick to show support for the President of Liberia’s ARREST Agenda as well.

Finally, Dr. Michael Best, Executive Director of the Institute for People and Technology and the College of Computing (OMSCS) at Georgia Tech announced the OMSCS Fellowship program for the people of Liberia. These Fellowships cover tuition for the entire degree program and are offered to all eligible students and faculty at the University of Liberia, and with time, they hope to provide eligible students and faculty at any university across all of Liberia. Georgia Tech’s Online Masters in Computer Science, the most successful degree program in history, is free for the people of Liberia.

The President also had a special meeting with State Senator Donella James to further support from the State of Georgia and together with iF Magazine will be planning a Head of State Dinner in September 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia.  President Boakai was also the special guest at the Liberian Association of Metropolitan Atlanta (LAMA)Town Hall Meeting and attended service at the International Christian Fellowship Church (ICF) where he honored the late Bishop Dr. William BGK Harris.

For more information, please contact International Focus (iF) Magazine Editor-in-Chief Cynthia L. Blandford at +1 678-612-2192 or at cblandford@IFMagazine.net or at www.UCLiberia.com for further information.

Photo Credits:  Lashley John