Accra, Ghana – June 27, 2025 – Liberia has officially dedicated a landmark student dormitory at the Regional Maritime University (RMU) in Accra, fulfilling a pledge made by President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr. in 2024 to expand support for maritime education in West Africa.
Completed in record time, the uniquely designed facility, shaped in the form of a vessel, is named SS World Peace in tribute to the first ship ever registered under the Liberian flag, shortly after the establishment of the country’s world-renowned maritime program in 1948.
Dedicating the 50-bed capacity dormitory on behalf of President Boakai, Hon. Samuel A. Stevquoah, minister of State for Special Projects, hailed the project as a symbol of Liberia’s enduring commitment to maritime leadership and regional integration. He praised the President’s vision and thanked the RMU leadership and staff for their dedication, describing the dormitory as a significant step toward easing accommodation challenges for students, especially Liberians studying at the institution.
“This is more than just a building,” Hon. Stevquoah said. “It is a reaffirmation of Liberia’s leading role in global shipping and its commitment to empowering the next generation of maritime professionals.”
Ambassador Alhaji Fanday Turay, Chancellor of RMU and Sierra Leone’s Minister of Transport and Aviation, also commended the Liberian leader, referring to him as a “Talk and Do President” whose actions speak louder than words. He applauded the initiative as a boost to regional collaboration and student welfare.
Also present was Cllr. Neto Zarzar Lighe, Sr., Commissioner/CEO of the Liberia Maritime Authority (LiMA), who played a key role in steering the project to completion. Commissioner Lighe, Sr. emphasized the dormitory’s importance in advancing Liberia’s maritime diplomacy and fulfilling the country’s responsibility to the RMU as one of its founding member states.
“This dormitory stands as a living monument of our maritime legacy and a practical investment in the future of the region’s seafaring and shipping workforce,” said Commissioner Lighe, Sr.
The dedication ceremony took place on the sidelines of the 33rd Board of Governors’ Meeting of the RMU, attended by maritime leaders from across West and Central Africa, including the Liberia Maritime Authority Board Chairman, Hon. S. Tornorlah Varpilah.