GBARNGA — Bong County native and urban development specialist Kusee L. Armstrong has renewed calls for Liberia to adopt geospatial driven development strategies as a means of addressing youth unemployment, political vulnerability and mounting urban challenges.
By Selma Lomax, selmalomaxfrontpageafricaonline.com
Armstrong made the appeal through an extensive policy focused analysis in which he linked the country’s youth employment crisis to weak planning systems, limited technological integration and the exclusion of young people from sustainable economic opportunities.
Liberia continues to record one of the youngest populations in West Africa, with youth accounting for a significant majority of the national demographic. While this presents a potential demographic dividend, Armstrong noted that the failure to productively engage young people has instead created deep social and economic risks.
He observed that high unemployment and underemployment levels among youth have entrenched poverty, increased dependence on informal livelihoods and exposed young people to political manipulation, particularly during electoral periods.
According to Armstrong, youth are often mobilized as political foot soldiers without corresponding investments in long term skills development, job creation or entrepreneurship. He warned that this pattern weakens civic responsibility, undermines democratic governance and perpetuates institutional fragility.
He stressed that without deliberate and structured interventions, Liberia risks turning its youthful population into a liability rather than a driver of national development.
Armstrong attributed youth unemployment in Liberia to long standing structural and historical factors including the aftermath of civil conflict, weak public institutions, limited private sector expansion and an education system that does not adequately reflect labor market realities.
These challenges, he said, have forced many young people into insecure and low productivity activities, further widening inequality and limiting economic mobility.
In 2025, following the completion of his academic studies abroad, Armstrong returned to Liberia with the aim of contributing to national development through entrepreneurship, technical capacity building and policy engagement.
He explained that his return was guided by a conviction that sustainable national transformation depends on the commitment of trained professionals who are willing to apply globally acquired knowledge to local problems.
Armstrong’s academic background is rooted in Geographic Information Systems and Remote Sensing, supported by advanced training in land resources management. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree, a Master of Public Administration, a Master of Science degree, a Master of Arts in Teaching and a Postgraduate Diploma in Education.
This multidisciplinary education, he said, has enabled him to bridge technical innovation with policy design, education and public sector development.
He emphasized that geospatial technologies have become indispensable tools for modern urban governance, supporting land administration, infrastructure planning, environmental protection and disaster risk reduction.
In Liberia, rapid urbanization, especially in Monrovia and other emerging cities, has produced unplanned settlements, land tenure disputes, environmental degradation and increased vulnerability to climate related disasters such as flooding. Armstrong pointed out that the limited use of spatial data in planning and decision making has significantly worsened these conditions.
To address these gaps, Armstrong revealed plans for a geospatial focused enterprise designed to provide data driven urban planning and land management solutions while creating employment opportunities for young people.
The initiative is intended to train youth in practical geospatial skills including data collection, mapping, spatial analysis and decision support systems, equipping them for both employment and entrepreneurship within the growing technology and development sectors.
Despite the potential impact of such initiatives, Armstrong acknowledged that youth led technology ventures in Liberia face serious constraints.
Limited access to startup financing remains a major obstacle, as local financial institutions are often unwilling to support early stage enterprises and venture capital options are scarce. He also cited infrastructural challenges such as unreliable electricity, weak internet connectivity and the absence of comprehensive national spatial data systems, all of which raise operational costs and restrict growth.
Institutional resistance to innovation further complicates the adoption of geospatial solutions. Armstrong noted that many public agencies continue to rely on traditional planning methods, with limited understanding of the value of integrated spatial data. Poor inter agency coordination and gaps in technical training have also reduced the effectiveness and sustainability of technology driven planning initiatives.
Nevertheless, Armstrong maintained that Liberia is entering a period of opportunity. Rapid urban expansion, increasing climate risks and growing pressure on land and infrastructure have heightened demand for evidence based planning solutions.
He observed that government institutions, development partners and non-governmental organizations are increasingly prioritizing data driven approaches in project design, monitoring and evaluation, creating new space for geospatial services.
He further argued that investing in youth technical skills yields broader social and political dividends. Young people who possess market relevant skills are more likely to secure stable employment, start businesses and engage positively in civic life. This, he said, reduces their vulnerability to political exploitation and contributes to national stability.
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