Africa Arise, an all-inclusive youth platform representing the aspirations of millions of youth in Africa, has awarded two separate certificates to the University of Liberia (UL) and UL’s President, Rev. Prof. Dr. Julius Julukon Sarwolo Nelson, Jr.
The University of Liberia was awarded a certificate as the Best Academic Institution for Academic Year 2022 in Africa, while President Nelson was awarded as Educationalist of the Year 2022 in Africa.
A delegation from Sierra Leone, headed by Africa Arise Executive Director, Peter Musa Konteh, presented the certificates during a meeting held in the President’s conference room on the UL Capitol Hill campus Wednesday, November 30, 2022.
Konteh said Africa Arise is an organization that does not look at anybody’s financial strength to give them an award, but at how committed and consistent they are.
He underscored that the awards were based on merit, and the organization does not ask nominees for anything.
For the year 2022, he said Africa Arise did nominations in various African countries that included Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Liberia, Ghana and The Gambia.
He said they nominated the University of Liberia, the University of Lagos for Nigeria; Legon University for Ghana, and for Gambia they nominated the University of Gambia.
Konteh said his organization sent a team to do background check on each of the nominated academic institutions. Based on the response received, he said, the organization awards deserving institutions and individuals.
“We came to Liberia, did a background check about the president (Dr. Nelson) because normally when we are doing a background check we don’t inform you,” said Konteh.
He said the response they received about Dr. Nelson was positive, and his team was told that the UL President is down to earth, respects everybody and gives people an audience.
“And those are the kinds of people we are looking for. We want to see a leader who sees himself as a servant, not as a leader,” he noted.
Additionally, Konteh explained that through the background check he was told that Dr. Nelson merited the award, and he was hailed by a professor for doing well, especially in the science field.
“He said he’s one of the champions for this Climate Change. And if we have these kinds of people in Africa, if we have one thousand of these kinds of people in Africa, Africa will be a better place,” said Konteh.
He noted that the award will serve as a positive legacy for President Nelson and the University of Liberia.
Receiving the award, UL President Prof. Dr. Julius Julukon Sarwolo Nelson, Jr., thanked the delegation for the recognition, saying it was a wonderful privilege and honor that the team could do all of the background work to give the special certificate.
“I appreciate this honor. You gave me the zeal to continue to advocate for young people, for students in all that I do,” said President Nelson.
He explained that the first basic work he did when he left school was to work with young people, saying he is an advocate for young people.
Earlier, receiving the certificate for the University of Liberia, Prof. Dr. Moses M. Zinnah, Vice President for Academic Affairs, said he was impressed by the recognition the university has received.
He told the delegates that when President Nelson took over the university over three years ago he vowed that he came to brighten its light.
“And he has a bias towards young people, so I am happy to see most of you are in your youthful ages. I think this award for the university, for us, is really special,” said Dr. Zinnah.
For his part, Siaffa Bahn Kemokai, President of the Federation of African Law Students (FALAS), said these are the kinds of organizations being sought in Africa, ones that will honor people based on merits.