GBARNGA-A young and passionate Liberian agricultural student at Bong County University (BCU), Josiah Pailay, has respectfully appealed to the university's administration to consider introducing a structured six-month practical internship program for agricultural students, with particular focus on those in their final year.
Pailay, who is currently pursuing a degree in Agriculture at BCU, one of Liberia's fastest-growing public institutions, said the proposed internship would provide students with invaluable exposure to modern farming practices while they complete their academic programs.
According to him, the current structure of agricultural education in many Liberian universities remains heavily theoretical, leaving graduates with good grades but little practical competence to actually manage a farm, run an agribusiness, or lead agricultural innovation.
He believes that placing students with experienced farmers, agricultural institutions, agribusinesses, research farms, seed multiplication centers, and other agricultural enterprises would help bridge the gap between classroom theory and practical, real-world farming.
In his recent Facebook publication, which has since attracted attention from fellow students and agriculture enthusiasts, Pailay respectfully called on the university administration, particularly the leadership of the College of Agriculture, to consider the initiative.
He argued that a six-month internship, preferably in the final semester, would allow students to spend ample time on working farms to understand the full production cycle, from land preparation, planting, and crop management to harvesting, post-harvest handling, and marketing.
Pailay further believes the program could create stronger and more sustainable employment pathways for graduates by connecting them directly with outstanding farmers and agricultural organizations across Liberia, long before graduation day.
He said many agriculture graduates today struggle to find jobs not because there are no opportunities in the sector, but because they lack practical experience and professional networks, two things an internship would naturally provide.
The BCU student emphasized that such a program would give students practical experience, professional mentorship, and a clearer understanding of the various career paths within agriculture, including agronomy, animal husbandry, agribusiness management, extension services, and agricultural research.
He also pointed out that Liberia's agricultural sector is at a crossroads, with the government and development partners pushing for food self-sufficiency, yet the country's universities are not producing graduates who are ready to lead that transformation on the ground.
What gives weight to Pailay's advocacy is his own international practical experience. Josiah is also a proud graduate of the Arava International Center for Agricultural Training (AICAT) in Israel, a globally recognized center for practical agricultural training.
At AICAT, he received intensive, hands-on exposure to modern agricultural production, advanced farming technologies, precision agriculture, greenhouse management, drip irrigation, and desert farming techniques that have made Israel a world leader in agriculture.
He worked directly on commercial farms, learning how to manage crops under challenging climatic conditions, how to maximize water use efficiency, and how to apply technology to increase yields, lessons he believes are directly applicable to Liberia's context.
According to him, that experience completely changed his perspective on agriculture, from seeing it as a subsistence activity to understanding it as a serious business and a science that can create wealth and employment for thousands of young people.
He believes that if BCU can replicate a similar model locally, even on a smaller scale, by partnering with successful Liberian farmers and agricultural institutions, it could revolutionize agricultural education at the university.
Pailay suggested that the university could sign Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with institutions such as the Central Agricultural Research Institute (CARI), Ministry of Agriculture, FAO, WFP, local agribusinesses like Fabrar Liberia, and outstanding private farms in Bong and neighboring counties.
He added that such partnerships would not only benefit students but also benefit host institutions, who would gain energetic, young interns with fresh ideas, while also contributing to national agricultural development.
In his view, graduates who go through such a six-month intensive practical program would be more confident, more competent, and more likely to establish their own farms or agribusinesses rather than waiting for white-collar jobs that may never come.
He concluded his appeal by calling on the administration of Bong County University, the Dean of the College of Agriculture, and all stakeholders in Liberia's education and agricultural sectors to see this proposal as a step toward building a practical, employment-ready generation of agriculturists who can truly feed Liberia and beyond.
He maintained that Liberia's future depends on agriculture, and agriculture's future depends on well-trained, practically exposed graduates, and BCU has the opportunity to lead that change.