Sanniquellie City — Nimba County University marked a major institutional milestone this week, holding its first bachelor‑degree commencement alongside regular associate‑degree conferrals in a convocation that blended celebration with a forward‑looking roadmap for growth.
A total of 235 students crossed the stage at the ceremony, Nimba County University President Dr. Jesse Noah Mongrue announced.
Sixty‑six students received bachelor’s degrees and 169 were awarded associate degrees.
The bachelor’s cohort included 52 males and 14 females while the associate cohort included 90 males and 79 females.
Trustees, faculty, government officials and community leaders gathered in the Administrative Hall in Sanniquellie City as rows of gowns and caps moved in measured procession beneath banners bearing the university seal.
Family members and friends filled the audience, offering cheers and applause that echoed in the open‑air hall as each name was called.
“Nimba University, like any emerging institution, is a work in progress,” Dr. Mongrue said in his commencement address.
He thanked board members and senior adviser to President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Dr. Augustine Konneh for their support and he acknowledged colleagues whose counsel aided the university’s development.
Dr. Mongrue’s remarks ranged from gratitude for small victories to a candid assessment of the challenges ahead.
Central to his address was a five‑pillar vision designed to guide the university through its next phase of growth:
Good governance: consultation with stakeholders, transparency and inclusive decision‑making as foundations for credibility and long‑term stability.
Academic excellence and agility: higher expectations, stronger critical‑thinking outcomes and institutional resilience to adapt programs as needs change.
Sound pedagogical practice: faculty must uphold high standards and ethical conduct to ensure teaching quality and integrity.
Research and training: the university has established a Department of Research and Development and now requires bachelor’s students to complete and defend a thesis to build scholarly capacity and practical skills.
Strategic planning: sharper institutional focus and deliberate investment in infrastructure and programmatic priorities.
Dr. Mongrue highlighted recent academic and operational advances that illustrate these pillars in action.
A new school management system now enables online registration, streamlining administrative tasks and improving access.
Reduced registration fees have demonstrably boosted enrollment. Faculty and administrators introduced mandatory thesis defenses for bachelor’s candidates and launched a technical and vocational certificate program to diversify learning pathways.
Computer laboratories were refurbished with updated equipment and University leaders reported other essential upgrades are in progress to improve the best.
Nimba University has expanded its network of partnerships and program offerings. The institution has signed memorandums of understanding with domestic and international partners and plans an annex campus in Nimba County outside Ganta to broaden regional access.
Academic programs are being strengthened through targeted curriculum revisions and internship pathways.
The university is coordinating with ArcelorMittal Liberia (AML) and a university in the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire to bolster engineering and geosciences offerings, promote faculty capacity‑building, and support student exchanges and joint research initiatives.
These partnerships aim to align classroom theory with industry needs and provide graduates with practical experience.
Despite the progress, Dr. Mongrue acknowledged persistent challenges. Classroom space, dormitory capacity and office facilities remain limited as the student population grows.
Budget constraints slow capital projects, and essential facilities such as a larger auditorium and expanded learning spaces are still needed.
He issued a direct appeal to stakeholders and supporters to help transform Nimba University into “a great place of learning” for future generations and a regional center supporting Liberian democracy.
Addressing the graduates, Dr. Mongrue issued an inspirational call to action, quoting a former South African President: “Africa must be built by Africans.”
He posed three rhetorical questions to spur commitment and urgency: If not you, who? If not now, when? If not here, where? Many graduates responded with nods and quiet resolve, and the crowd applauded as the speech concluded.
The convocation closed with the formal conferral of degrees, embraces between faculty and students, and proud family photographs. For many attendees, the day combined a personal milestone with institutional promise an affirmation that Nimba University is steadily expanding its footprint as an emerging center of higher education in Liberia.
As the university looks ahead, Dr. Mongrue’s five‑pillar vision and tangible campus improvements suggest a practical roadmap. Turning that plan into lasting capacity will require continued investment, expanded facilities, and sustained engagement from government, donors and the wider community.
