182 apprentice officers graduated from the Liberia Immigration Service (LIS) ‘In-service specialized training’ on June 29. With support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) since 2019, to this date, a total of 1,038 trainees have been trained and have formed part of the professional working team of the LIS. 

The training covered all immigration formalities and all academy activities to equip trainees for service. The LIS Commissioner General Attorney Stephen Zargo congratulated the trainees and announced them as officials of the LIS.

Zargo added that the 14 days of training were intensive and packed with insightful education designed to prepare the trainees for work.

He expressed his gratitude to UNDP for the support it has provided towards this specialized training from 2019 to this year.

This year marked the last year of UNDP support to LIS for this specialized training. However, 42 of the trainees were directly sponsored by the government of Liberia, to show the government’s readiness to take over.

Although this is the last year for UNDP’s support towards this specialized training, the Resident Representative a.i. Anthony Ohemeng-Boamah reaffirmed UNDP’s commitment to strengthening Liberia’s institutional capacity.

Ohemeng-Boamah urged the graduates to serve Liberia with diligence and professionalism as agents of change for inclusive and sustainable development.

Delivering the keynote address, the Chief Immigration officer of the Republic of Sierra Leone, Alusine Kanneh noted that the relationship between Sierra Leone and Liberia is a prime example of the benefits of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) initiative with both countries displaying transformative power of regional cooperation allowing freedom of movement and easy trade between the countries.

Addressing the graduates, Kanneh told them to utilize the knowledge and skills acquired. He encouraged them to work with determination guided by the principles of integrity.

A certificate of recognition was awarded to UNDP for its funding support for the In-Service Training since 2019. The certificate was presented by Attorney Dickson R. Tambo, Deputy Commissioner for Naturalization and received by the UNDP Resident Representative a.i. Ohemeng-Boamah.

The In-Service Specialized training ensures that all identified trainees become professional officers to manage the borders professionally and effectively. Liberia has 176 recognized points of entry with only 45 official entries. Most of these unofficial points of entry were created by the various warring factions during the crisis.