By: Ernest Kpehe Moibah | Bomi Correspondent
Bomi County, Liberia |April 17, 2026 |Plans to elevate Bomi Community College to a full university are facing serious financial hurdles, despite progress toward finalizing a transition roadmap expected within the next three weeks.
College President Dr. Norman, speaking in an exclusive interview, disclosed that while the institution is nearing completion of its strategic plan to become a Western Region University, the lack of adequate funding remains the biggest obstacle.
According to Dr. Norman, the transformation will require an estimated US$5 million to fully launch Bachelor of Science (BSc) programs; an amount he says is far beyond the current allocation.
“We have the plan almost ready, but funding is the major constraint,” he emphasized.
For the 2026 fiscal year, the college has been allotted US$300,000, a figure Dr. Norman described as insufficient and limited to initiate full-scale university operations.
However, he noted that priority will be placed on launching programs within the School of Nursing and the Business College, citing the availability of qualified professionals already in place to drive these disciplines.
“These are areas where we are ready to begin immediately,” he said, expressing confidence in the institution’s human resource capacity.
In a related development, the Ministry of Finance has provided an additional US$300,000, which Dr. Norman says will be used to constructmodern smart classrooms, aimed at enhancing online learning and digital education.
Despite these efforts, the college’s leadership maintains that without significant financial support, the vision of transforming into a full-fledged university could face delays.
The proposed Western Region University is seen as a critical step towards expanding access to higher education and strengthening human capacity development across western Liberia.
For now, stakeholders are watching closely as the institution pushes forward; hopeful that the needed funding will be secured to turn the vision into reality.
Meanwhile, Based on regional divisions often used in Liberian administration, the counties that comprise Western Liberia (often referred to as the Northwestern region include Bomi, Grand Cape Mount, Gbarpolu, and Lofa counties.
