Representative Rugie Barry Rallies Colleagues To Increase UL Budget To 45 Million, Writes Plenary
June 30 2025
Monrovia: Montserrado County first District Representative Rugie Barry, is rallying colleagues to increase the University of Liberia annual budget to address numerous challenges the state-run University currently faced.
The decision follows a communication from Montserrado County first district lawmaker calling for an increment in the annual budgetary allotment to the University of Liberia from Thirty-Three Million United States Dollars (US$33,000,000) to Forty-Five Million United States Dollars (US$45,000,000).
In her communication to Plenary, Hon. Barry emphasized that her district, which hosts the University’s Fendell Campus, is burdened with the growing realities of the institution’s constraints. She said she is compelled by “duty, conscience, and national responsibility” to raise the matter before the august body, highlighting the plight of the over 22,000 students currently enrolled at the state-run university.
Representative Barry cited several pressing concerns, including Deteriorating Infrastructure noting that many of the buildings across UL campuses are in disrepair posing risks to students’ safety and effect learning.
According to Rep Barry the lack of basic utilities and Equipment has caused classrooms to be reportedly overcrowded and poorly equipped, with insufficient chairs, unreliable water supply, inadequate sanitary facilities, and outdated laboratory and library materials.
She noted that the Deficiency in Modern Learning Materials has caused the University to struggle to provide adequate contemporary instructional content, including textbooks and digital resources essential for quality higher education.
Following deliberations and motioned by Bong County second District Representative James M. Kolleh, the House’s plenary mandated the Committee on Education to launch a full-scale probe into the institution’s current operational state and budgetary needs aimed at taking significant step toward addressing the mounting challenges at the University of Liberia
Hearing will require the authorities of the University of Liberia to appear and provide a comprehensive presentation justifying the requested budget increment, as well as to outline the institution’s ongoing challenges and proposed interventions.
The House remains committed to strengthening Liberia’s educational sector and ensuring that the country’s premier public university is equipped to provide quality, accessible, and competitive education for the next generation of leaders.
