GBARNGA, Bong—Alfredson W. Taikerweyah, the newly appointed president of Bong County Technical College, has assured students, staff, and faculty that he is committed to strengthening the efforts of his predecessors.

President Joseph Boakai appointed Taikerweyah president of the college in early March 2024. Following his confirmation, he was inducted into office on April 3, 2024.

At his induction ceremony, Taikerweyah described himself as an “institutionally driven person and interested in hard work.”

He assured students, faculty, and college staff that he would work cooperatively with them to ensure that BCTC maintains its credibility as one of Liberia’s best academic institutions.

After being inducted, the new president was taken on a guided tour of the facility to understand the college’s challenges and interact with students, staff, and faculty members.

Taikerweyah held a dialogue with students on the college’s main campus in Gbarnga, where he said he wanted to get first-hand information from the students on the learning environment.

BCTC was established in 2010 to provide technical tertiary education to citizens and residents of Bong and neighboring counties. However, the school remains challenged by incomplete facilities, limited budgetary support, and the closure of the nursing school by the Liberian Board for Nursing and Midwifery for operating below set standards.

The National Commission on Higher Education accredited BCTC to offer computer science, mining engineering, civil engineering, agriculture technology, science education, and nursing undergraduate degrees.

The college opened its doors to students in 2013 and has only had three graduations due to numerous issues. The current enrollment is a little over 1,000 students.

Featured photo by Patrick Tokpah