IPNEWS: As Liberia enters 2026, President Joseph Nyuma Boakai has issued a powerful New Year message calling on all Liberians to embrace unity, collective responsibility, and peaceful nation-building. Delivered on Thursday, January 1, 2026, the address emphasized the need for national cohesion across tribal, political, and religious lines.
“Fellow Liberians, as we stand at the threshold of a New Year, I speak to you not only as your President, but as a compatriot, bound to you by our shared history, common struggles, enduring hope, and collective destiny,” President Boakai said, opening his message with a reminder of Liberia’s shared journey.
Acknowledging the challenges the nation has faced, Boakai noted, “Our nation has endured much. We have experienced division, hardship, and moments when our faith in one another was sorely tested. Yet, time and again, Liberia has proven resilient. We remain standing because the spirit of unity, though at times strained, has never been broken.”
Boakai issued a firm call for collective action, stressing that Liberia can only progress together. “As we enter this New Year, I issue a clear and clarion call: Liberians must move forward together, or we will not move forward at all. Tribe against tribe, party against party, county against county, and religion against religion are divisions that weaken us. They do not build roads, educate our children, create jobs, or heal our nation. Unity does,” he said.
The President highlighted that unity does not require suppressing differences of opinion. “National unity does not require uniformity of thought. It does not silence criticism or suppress debate. Rather, it demands that even in disagreement, we recognize one another as Liberians first,” Boakai said, urging citizens to contest ideas, not identities.
Calling on political leaders to set the example, Boakai said, “Disagreement must never descend into hatred. Opposition must never become obstruction to the national good or a desire for harm to befall our country. Leadership, whether in government or outside of it, carries great responsibility, and we pledge to uphold that responsibility.”
He further called on traditional leaders, religious figures, women, youth, elders, and the diaspora to remember that Liberia belongs to all its people. “The future of Liberia will not be delivered by one man, one party, or one region. It will be built through collective sacrifice, shared responsibility, and mutual respect,” the President said.
Boakai also urged Liberians to embrace solutions over complaints and cynicism. “Let us embrace the politics of solutions. Let us reject the nurturing of despair and recommit ourselves to healing, discipline, hard work, and patriotism. Let us renounce violence in word and deed, and choose peace, not as a sign of weakness, but as a measure of strength,” he said.
Expressing appreciation for Liberia’s international partners, Boakai noted their continued support for the nation’s development. “We extend our sincere gratitude to our partners in progress who continue to stand with us, supporting Liberia through each challenge we face. We reaffirm our respect for, appreciation of, and judicious use of their contributions as we pursue our national development agenda,” he said.
Concluding his message, Boakai reaffirmed his commitment to serve with integrity and fairness while asking Liberians to unite for the country’s progress. “May the new year renew our love for country, strengthen our resolve, and bind us together as one people, with one destiny. God bless you all, as we continue to THINK LIBERIA, LOVE LIBERIA, and together, BUILD LIBERIA,” he said.
