Commentary: Enshrining Ethics and Entrepreneurship in Liberian Education

By: Austin S. Fallah- A nationalist, Liberian, and a son of Elohim-Adonai Creation:

Our beautiful nation and sweet land of liberty,  Liberia, bounded by its rich history and cultural heritage, stands at a crossroads where the choice to embrace certain core values will determine the pathway to its future.

The path of education has long been recognized as a key factor in national development and one that can gradually erode economic stagnation.

However, the integration of ethics and entrepreneurship into the mainstream Liberian curriculum, particularly at the University of Liberia, presents a unique opportunity for a transformative shift toward the cultivation of respect, truth-telling, fairness, and economic empowerment.

Lux in Tenebris, the University of Liberia, stands as an iconic symbol of intellectual enlightenment in an environment shrouded by diverse socioeconomic challenges.

Over the years, it has served as the launching pad, propelling many young Liberians into the realm of intellectualism, and providing the foundation required to face a rapidly evolving world.

This cruel world demands not just literacy but a grounded understanding of ethics and the entrepreneurial spirit.

A batch of many of us Liberians, who have walked through the hallowed walls of this institution and subsequently found ourselves in foreign lands, have come to acknowledge and appreciate the critical importance of ethics and entrepreneurship in socioeconomic development.

The transformative power of these twin pillars is evident in every facet of advanced economies where citizens do not subsist on the benevolence of others but are sustained through the fruits of their entrepreneurial ventures, fostered in an environment of truth and respect.

To achieve this monumental shift in Liberia, there is an urgent need for an overhaul of the learning mindset. 

A cognitive restructuring that steers away from conventional rote learning to one that fosters critical thinking, innovation, and creativity.

It entails embracing and nurturing a culture of truth-telling or ethics, at the core of which lies respect and fairness.

Through the propagation of ethics, we can fashion a society where trust, transparency, and fairness are cherished, where the scourge of corruption is ousted from the corridors of power, and where justice becomes not just a word but an actionable reality.

As the famous philosopher, Immanuel Kant posited, “Act in such a way that you treat humanity always as an end and never merely as a means to an end.”

Teaching ethics will help to craft a society where each Liberian values and respects the other and works towards a collective goal.

Equally paramount is nurturing the spirit of entrepreneurship. Instilling this virtue in every Liberian, particularly the students, means fostering self-reliance and cultivating the confidence to reach within and unleash their inherent potential.

It means equipping them with the necessary tools to create, innovate, and bring to life businesses and services that can drive economic growth, provide employment, and contribute significantly to poverty eradication.

Indisputably, entrepreneurship requires more than an innovative idea.

It necessitates an ethical foundation that ensures the sustainability and equitable contribution of the business to society.

As such, ethics and entrepreneurship are not merely subjects to be studied in isolation but are intertwined, serving as crucial pillars upon which a society can stand and thrive.

Integrating ethics and entrepreneurship into Liberia’s education system, particularly at the University of Liberia, would offer a spectrum of benefits.

It would invariably carve out an army of ethical and entrepreneurial-minded citizens who can fuel socio-economic development, reduce dependence on foreign aid and handouts, and build a more resilient, self-sufficient Liberia.

Indeed, this should not just remain an academic discourse but should translate into implementable policies by educational stakeholders, government, civil society, and the students themselves.

Vincent Van Gogh once said in his intellectual post “The journey may be arduous, the path may seem jagged, the timeline may seem distant, but one thing rings true, great things are done by a series of small things brought together.”

The promotion and practice of ethics and entrepreneurship could be the saving grace that Liberia so desperately needs to usher in a new era characterized by respect, fairness, self-reliance, and economic empowerment.

As the adage goes, “Educate a man and you educate an individual; educate a woman and you educate a nation.”

In a similar vein, educate a nation in ethics and entrepreneurship and equip it with tools for self-reliance and socio-economic development. Liberia stands at this precipice and the power to catalyze this transformation is tenaciously within its grasp.