NaFAA Seeks to Turn Fisheries Skills Into Jobs, Businesses for Young Liberians.
By Lazota Bility
Monrovia, September 7,2026: In the quest to strengthen technical and vocational training in Liberia’s fisheries sector, the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA) is seeking to equip young people with practical skills that can open doors to employment and entrepreneurship.
The move comes on Wednesday September 2, 2026 as NaFAA convened its first Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in Fisheries Roundtable, bringing together government institutions, academia, development partners and technical experts to explore opportunities for youth skills development and enterprise creation across Liberia’s fisheries and aquaculture value chains.
The roundtable brought together Deputy Minister for TVET at the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Hon. Laraamand S. Nyonton, and his technical team; representatives from the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture Sciences; teams from EU-supported projects focused on strengthening artisanal fisheries and private-sector development; and NaFAA’s technical directors.
The discussions focused on creating practical pathways for young people, particularly those in Liberia’s coastal and inland counties, to gain technical skills that can translate into employment and businesses within the fisheries and aquaculture sector.
Among the areas identified for potential TVET opportunities are canoe and fiberglass boat construction, outboard engine repair and maintenance, fishing net and gear production, fish-feed production, fish-pond construction and maintenance, improved fish-smoking oven fabrication, locally made cooling and fish-preservation systems, fish processing and packaging, aquaculture production, and cold-chain and fisheries equipment services.
Participants, however, emphasized that TVET should go beyond training and certification.
“ It is important for TVET to go beyond training and certifications we need to feel the impacts “ they said
Calling for a complete skills-to-enterprise pathway that takes young people from training and apprenticeship to business incubation, access to finance, mentorship and market linkages.
Speaking at the roundtable, Deputy Minister Nyonton expressed appreciation to NaFAA for convening the engagement and emphasized the Ministry of Youth and Sports’ readiness to build on the discussions and work toward tangible outcomes.
The EU-supported project teams also welcomed the initiative and expressed their willingness to collaborate with NaFAA and the Ministry of Youth and Sports on a comprehensive assessment of opportunities within the sector.
The proposed assessment would identify existing skills gaps, market opportunities, youth interests, available training facilities, private-sector demand and appropriate models for training and business incubation.
For NaFAA, the broader goal is to position Liberia’s fisheries and aquaculture sector as a stronger platform for youth employment, entrepreneurship, innovation and inclusive Blue Economy development.
Said initiative reflects a growing recognition that the future of Liberia’s fisheries sector is not only about catching and producing fish, but also about developing the skills, businesses, technologies and entrepreneurs needed to drive the industry forward.
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