Small-Scale Grant for Market Vendors Officially Launched; 2,000 Beneficiaries to Benefit Nationwide
Small-Scale Grant for Market Vendors Officially Launched; 2,000 Beneficiaries to Benefit Nationwide
GANTA, Nimba County — The Ministry of Youth and Sports (MYS) has officially launched the Small-Scale Grant for Market Vendors, a component of the broader National Youth Pathway Program (NYPP), targeting 2,000 market vendors across all 15 counties.
Officially launching the program, Youth and Sports Minister Atty. Cornelia W. Kruah said the Small Scale Grant is intended to go beyond the provision of financial assistance by helping beneficiaries transform their small businesses into sustainable and profitable enterprises.
Minister Kruah said the Ministry wants to see beneficiaries move from operating businesses on a small scale to building enterprises capable of generating higher income, expanding their operations, and creating opportunities for others.
She emphasized that the success of the government’s intervention will ultimately be measured by the performance and growth of the businesses receiving support.
According to Minister Kruah, the Ministry will not simply distribute the grants and walk away. Instead, a team from the Ministry will work alongside beneficiaries and monitor their progress to ensure that the intervention produces measurable results and sustainable success stories.
“We want to shift the paradigm that government grants are simply given and forgotten,” Minister Kruah said, emphasizing the importance of monitoring, mentorship, and accountability.
“I want to see folks moving from mat to mattress,” she added, using the expression to underscore the Ministry’s expectation that beneficiaries will grow from modest beginnings into more stable and successful business owners.
Minister Kruah also told beneficiaries that the program is designed to prepare them for larger economic opportunities in the future. She referenced the planned Youth Investment and Entrepreneurship Bank under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, which is expected to make approximately US$16 million available to qualified young people.
Although the two initiatives are separate, Minister Kruah explained that the business skills and knowledge beneficiaries acquire through the Small Skill Grant program will better position them to take advantage of future investment opportunities.
She challenged beneficiaries to take ownership of the opportunity being provided to them and make responsible use of the support.
“Your success in life, what you want to become, your business, and how it will grow—beginning today, we are putting it in your hands,” Minister Kruah told the beneficiaries.
Delivering the keynote address on behalf of the Minister of Commerce and Industry, Hon. Magdalene Dagoseh, Deputy Minister for Administration Tarnue Jeke described the Small Scale Grant Initiative as a potentially transformational intervention for young people already engaged in trading, small businesses, and other income-generating activities to support themselves and their families.
Deputy Minister Jeke said the Ministry of Commerce and Industry views the initiative as an important opportunity for young Liberians and expressed the Ministry’s readiness to collaborate with the Ministry of Youth and Sports to ensure beneficiaries gain access to business registration, financial services, and business development support.
He said such collaboration would help beneficiaries move beyond informal trading and build businesses that can grow, create jobs, and contribute to the formal economy.
Deputy Minister Jeke noted that when young people are provided with capital, opportunity, skills, and sustained support, they can build viable businesses, create employment, strengthen their communities, and make meaningful contributions to Liberia’s national development.
He reaffirmed the Ministry of Commerce and Industry’s commitment to working with the Ministry of Youth and Sports and other stakeholders to connect young entrepreneurs with the opportunities and services they need to grow.
Deputy Minister Jeke urged beneficiaries to separate business capital from personal expenses, reinvest profits into their businesses, and use their growth to create opportunities for other young people.
Also speaking at the launch, Nimba County Senator Hon. Nya D. Twayen Jr. commended the Ministry of Youth and Sports for selecting Nimba County as one of the program's initial beneficiaries.
Senator Twayen called for additional interventions aimed at supporting Nimba County’s growing youth population and creating opportunities for young people to improve their livelihoods.
He also pledged to lobby his colleagues in the Legislature for increased budgetary support to the Ministry of Youth and Sports, saying Minister Kruah is demonstrating the commitment and vision she outlined during her confirmation process.
Senator Twayen said he was particularly proud of the work being undertaken by Minister Kruah and expressed confidence that increased support to the Ministry would enable it to expand programs benefiting young Liberians.
The officially launched Small Skill Grant on Friday, August 28, 2026, at the United Methodist Gymnasium in Ganta, Nimba County, brought together officials of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Nimba County Senator Nya D. Twayen Jr., representatives of the county administration, members of the business community, and beneficiaries.
The launch represents another step in the Government of Liberia’s broader effort to promote youth economic empowerment by combining financial assistance, skills development, mentorship, and business support. As part of the program, beneficiaries will receive training from experts of the Ministry of Youth and Sports in key areas including financial literacy, customer service, business management, and record-keeping.
With 2,000 market vendors expected to benefit across all 15 counties, the program seeks to help young entrepreneurs strengthen their businesses, improve household incomes, create employment, and contribute to the growth of local economies.
