Monrovia, Liberia – President Joseph Nyuma Boakai has called for a renewed culture of citizenship, national unity and responsibility in Liberia, using the country’s 179th National Flag Day anniversary to announce the reintroduction of civics education in primary schools and the nationwide launch of standardized civics textbooks.
Boakai made the announcement on Monday, August 24, 2026, at the Executive Pavilion in Monrovia, where he delivered official remarks marking the anniversary of Liberia’s national flag.
The President said restoring civics education is critical to ensuring that Liberian children understand the country’s history, Constitution, national symbols, rights and responsibilities as citizens.
He described the initiative as part of a broader effort to strengthen national identity and prepare young Liberians to assume responsibility for the country’s future.
“Today, we also celebrate the reintroduction of civics education in our primary schools and the official launch of standardized civics textbooks throughout the Republic,” Boakai said.
He said the initiative would help restore an understanding of citizenship and national responsibility among young people.
The announcement came as Liberia celebrated 179 years of the Lone Star, a national symbol the President said represents the country’s history, struggles, aspirations and continuing efforts to define itself as a nation.
Boakai connected Monday’s observance to Liberia’s 179th Independence Anniversary, celebrated in July under the theme “Strengthening National Identity Through Liberian-Led Historical Leadership.”
He said independence and the national flag are inseparable parts of Liberia’s national identity.
“If Independence gave us the sovereignty to define ourselves as a nation, the flag gives that identity a visible, enduring symbol,” he said.
According to Boakai, the flag should remind Liberians not only of their past but also of their responsibility to build a stronger Republic.
He highlighted the role of seven Liberian women, led by Susana Lewis, who stitched the flag in 1847 as the country prepared for independence.
The President said their contribution provides an important lesson about national development: Liberia’s progress has never depended exclusively on political leaders or government officials.
“Nation-building has never been the work of a few,” he said. “It is the labor of all, men and women, young and old, from every county, ethnicity, religion, and social background.”
Boakai then turned his attention to Liberia’s young people, urging students to understand the meaning of the national pledge beyond memorizing its words.
He said the pledge represents a national covenant that requires citizens to demonstrate loyalty through responsible conduct.
For students, he said, patriotism should include respecting fellow citizens, obeying the law, rejecting violence, protecting national symbols, working hard and preparing themselves to serve the country.
He also delivered a direct warning about narcotics.
“Say NO to drugs,” the President urged.
Boakai said drug traffickers are increasingly seeking to use Liberia as a transit and operational center, describing the development as a serious threat to young people.
He warned students not to allow drug traffickers to destroy their future.
“Do not let anyone steal your future,” he said, urging young Liberians to remain disciplined and focused.
The warning comes as Liberia remains in the midst of a major drug investigation following several large cocaine seizures.
The investigation intensified after security authorities intercepted nearly four metric tons of suspected cocaine in Duazon, Margibi County, while an earlier seizure was made at Roberts International Airport.
Authorities have placed the combined value of the seized narcotics at hundreds of millions of dollars, making the investigation one of Liberia’s most significant recent law-enforcement operations.
The case has since generated political controversy following the involvement of former Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor, who was stopped at Roberts International Airport, declared a person of interest and later charged in connection with an alleged transnational narcotics trafficking network.
Howard-Taylor and her political allies have rejected the allegations and criticized the government’s actions.
The controversy has raised broader questions about the ability of Liberia’s institutions to pursue major drug cases fairly and independently, particularly when politically connected individuals become subjects of investigations.
Boakai, however, used the Flag Day platform to emphasize the responsibility of citizens and institutions to respect the law and put national interests above personal and partisan considerations.
He warned adults not to demand patriotism from children while failing to demonstrate it themselves.
“We cannot ask our children to love Liberia while we undermine its institutions; to respect the law while we disregard it; or to be patriotic while we place personal, ethnic, religious, or partisan interests above the national good,” he said.
The President argued that the values contained in Liberia’s national pledge must be practiced in everyday life.
Homes, schools, workplaces, communities and public institutions, he said, must become places where national responsibility is demonstrated.
His emphasis on civics education is intended to help give young Liberians a stronger understanding of these responsibilities.
Boakai also used the occasion to praise students who participated in the national Flag Day ceremonies.
Earlier Monday at the Barclay Training Center, the President received salutes from student contingents participating in the national observance.
He said the students demonstrated discipline, precision, confidence and patriotism.
“I want to say I am very proud of them,” he said.
He congratulated schools recognized for Best Salute, Most Disciplined and Best Dressed, saying their achievements reflected the dedication of parents, instructors, school administrators and government institutions involved in the national program.
The President specifically recognized the contributions of the Ministry of Education, Ministry of National Defense and National Bureau of Veteran Affairs.
But Boakai cautioned that ceremonies and national symbols must not become substitutes for action.
“Let us not confuse commemoration with complacency,” he said.
He called on Liberians to use the symbolism of the flag as motivation to confront the country’s most pressing challenges.
Among those challenges, he identified division, hatred, corruption and violence, while also calling for improvements in infrastructure, electricity, healthcare and education.
He said Liberia must create more opportunities for young people while protecting them from drugs and other threats to their future.
Boakai presented this vision as a collective national responsibility.
The flag, he said, belongs equally to every Liberian, regardless of location, occupation or social background.
He referenced children in Grand Kru, farmers in Lofa, fishermen in Maryland and workers in Monrovia to demonstrate that the Republic belongs to all its citizens.
“All must be loved and given opportunities,” he said.
The President’s message also stressed national inclusion.
He said Liberia’s future cannot be built by privileging one group over another and urged citizens to recognize the shared ownership of the Republic.
His comments came as Liberia continues efforts to strengthen democratic institutions, preserve peace and promote national development.
Boakai said national identity must be strengthened through practical improvements in citizens’ lives.
He envisioned a Liberia where roads connect communities, electricity reaches more areas, healthcare improves, education is transformed and economic opportunities expand.
The President said those goals are not merely development objectives but expressions of what the Lone Star should represent.
He also called on Liberians to honor the sacrifices of previous generations while accepting responsibility for the future.
As the country looks toward the next generation, Boakai said young Liberians must be equipped not only with academic knowledge but also with a strong understanding of citizenship.
The reintroduction of civics education, he suggested, can help bridge that gap by teaching students about the Constitution, national history, national symbols and the obligations that accompany citizenship.
The President’s Flag Day address therefore placed education at the center of Liberia’s long-term nation-building effort.
He argued that a country cannot sustain democracy, peace and development without citizens who understand their rights and responsibilities.
Boakai also urged adults to model the values they expect children to learn.
The President said national unity must prevail over personal, ethnic, religious and partisan interests.
He called for citizens to embrace a shared national destiny and reject forces that threaten Liberia’s social fabric.
As Liberia marked the 179th anniversary of its national flag, Boakai’s message was ultimately a call to turn symbolism into action.
The flag, he said, should inspire citizens to build a country where every Liberian has an opportunity to live with dignity and contribute to national development.
He urged Liberians to honor the past, act responsibly in the present and prepare the country for future generations.
“May it remind us always that we are one people, one nation, with one destiny,” he said.
Boakai concluded by calling on citizens to embrace a simple national commitment.
“In all that we do, let us Think Liberia, Love Liberia, and together Build Liberia.”
He ended the national address with a prayer for the country and its national symbol.
“May God bless the Lone Star and bless Liberia.”
