The Calamities of Liberia’s West Point: Structural Poverty and Educational Crunch

An aerial view of the West Point area of Monrovia -- Mark Fischer, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

By Darius David Sumo

For decades, the manacles of entrenched poverty have continued to engulf West Point, Liberia and its people. Government after government, the material conditions of the people of West Point remain essentially unchanged: limited access to quality education, a awful healthcare delivery system, inadequate safe drinking water, poor sanitation, and a general lack of basic infrastructure that supports human dignity. The environment is congested, leaving the masses of the people vulnerable. In the event of disease outbreaks, fires, flooding, or any emergency, the consequences could be catastrophic because there is limited space and zero safety measures. The reality is simplistic: these problems aren’t accidental but rather a structural outcome produced by a society deeply rooted in class inequality, massive exploitation, capital accumulation by a few elites, etc., whose economic base, from all indications, determines the living conditions of the people.

These dreadful conditions and the inevitable economic prospect the region has are contradictions between potential wealth and astronomical deprivation. It’s a direct reflection of what Karl Marx postulated in Volume I, precisely Chapter 25 of Das Kapital (Capital: A Critique of Political Economy) as the simultaneous accumulation of capital at one pole and accumulation of misery, agony of toil, brutality, and slavery at the opposite pole. West Point, rich in fisheries and other coastal resources, has a grave economic potential. Yet said potential only benefits a small minority, while those who live and labor there remain trapped in toil and miseries.

It is imperative to highlight that the Township of West Point is not deprived because it lacks economic prospects. No! The abandoned peninsula has tremendous wealth—a mine—producing value through fisheries, supplying Monrovia and other nearby West African countries. The central problem is amidst the elephantine value made available by fishmongers, said value is yet to be transformed into social development for the people. Visibly, the extraction process and the distribution of returns ensure the conditions of the laboring class worsen or remain stagnant.

From another perspective, the township showcases a reality where the labor and resources of the people enrich political elites, while the people themselves are denied the fundamental of life’s dignity. Based on our survey, we can conclude that coastal economy is a source of survival for the masses of the people, but not a foundation for development—because the social relations governing production are unjust and skewed toward exploitation.

Government So-called “Remedies”

Have there been remedies from governments to end or mitigate the situation? Arguably yes! But the core question remains, what sort of remedy: the logic of bourgeois reform or a genuine reform that would change the relation of production and challenge the class order? Take some time off to think of that! Governments in post-war Liberia (Ellen’s era, Weah and now the Boakai’s) have often proposed policies intended to alleviate or end the people’s wretchedness. However, many of these proposed policies are not designed to solve the underlying causes of poverty in West Point. They managed to deal with the surface while leaving intact the structures that generate the entrenched poverty.

For instance, in 2016, after a terrible fire disaster in West Point, the Sirleaf’s government started the process of relocating the people of West Point to areas such as Brewerville/VOA-West Point estate. On the surface, it was a laudable venture signaling an attempt to “improve the living conditions of the people.” But a critical analysis and deeper reflection of the situation indicates the procedure follows a bourgeois logic of the state. The core objective is not to change the relations of production or challenge class inequality, exploitation, etc. Rather, it aims to displace the people in order to make land available for mass capital accumulation—whether directly or indirectly.

Now, it’s crystal clear this kind of “remedy” does not confront the class interests that benefit from the status quo. It does not ask why West Point remains underdeveloped despite its enormous economic potential. Also, it does not challenge the political and economic arrangements that allow some to profit while others suffer. Predicated upon that, such policies end in deadlock. They fail not because the government isn’t cognizant of the people’s miseries, but because these miseries are functional to the system.

The Core Argument

On April 28, 2026, I accompanied the chairman of the Liberian People’s Party (LPP) to the Township of West Point after local fishmongers arranged a meeting with him to highlight the conditions affecting the fisheries industry. We had the opportunity to meet with the Ghana chief and the two Kru chiefs. While in West Point, I observed something very critical. Other than the material reality reflecting exploitation and the marginalization of a class, makeshift structures, congested environments, and so on, there exists another problem. For me, it is difficult to

describe these conditions as merely “social problems” because they're not isolated issues disconnected from economics. It’s a clear indicator of a mode of production in which labor and resources are extracted from the region—yet reinvestment in the region is deliberately withheld.

Throughout West Point, there’s no public senior high school. We all know that education is essential for human development and social mobility. That is why I do not want to keep repeating its importance. Education is a right. But West Point shows how easily this right can be deprived from the people when the state values a few more than others.

It is imperative to state clearly that Article 6 of the Liberian Constitution, which emphasizes the necessity of government providing equal access to educational opportunities, has been ignored to a significant extent by the government of Liberia. Also, Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which protects the right to education, has also been violated in practice for many children in West Point.

West Point is situated on 131 acres and has a population of over 75,000 inhabitants. With said population and with rapidly growing families, it is reasonable to expect sufficient public schools—especially senior high schools. But unfortunately, it lacks senior secondary schools. This deprivation is not only devastating for Liberia’s future but also evidence of government indifference to the wellbeing of the people. A vivid picture is that an entire generation is denied its future. Disappointingly, the only public school in the township of West Point is the J.V Massaquoi School, whose highest level is Grade 9. This situation becomes a structural trap: when students complete junior high, their opportunity for further education collapses.

During our survey, a senior administrator and staff in an interview reportedly told me that when students finish their junior high education (Grade 9), 98% do not continue to complete their secondary education. They get into informal labor, such as fishing, to survive, while the remaining 2% travel daily far distances to continue education (which many cannot afford) at D. Tweah in New Kru Town or William V.S. Tubman or G.W. Gibson in central Monrovia. In a situation such as this, education does not function as empowerment. Rather, it becomes a privilege reserved for those with resources and, overall, those who can afford.

Statistics from the Ministry of Education showed that the Sirleaf-Boakai government built 300 public schools across Liberia. Also, under the Weah-Taylor administration, 60 schools were reportedly built, while the Boakai-Koung government reportedly planned or committed 100 schools. Despite reports from the Ministry of Education, school data show the number of schools mentioned above were built; the question is, where exactly were those schools built? Glaringly, the visibility of those schools becomes an obstacle when compared with circumstances unfolding. However, if truly there were numerous schools built across Liberia, the distribution should reflect population needs. The irony of this matter is Monrovia, the capital, has fewer than four (4) public high schools.

The Township of West Point, which has a landscape of 131 acres and a population of over 75,000, has no public senior high school. In other regional countries, it’s the opposite. For instance, Ghana reportedly has 149 public senior high schools in the Greater Accra Region. Similarly, with Sierra Leone. There are reportedly 1,541 government-owned or public high schools across the country. And 16% of that number, which is equivalent to approximately 246 schools, are in the capital, Freetown.

In conclusion, the conditions the people are conflicted with are not the result of individual failure, personal weakness, or cultural backwardness. They are the product of class relations, state policy, exploitation, and the unequal distribution of wealth and power. The situation the people are faced with, especially the educational problem, needs a practical solution. And addressing these problems should go beyond the normal political rhetoric.

Like the erudite Chairman of the Liberian People’s Party, J. Yanqui Zaza, has consistently advocated, national governments need to contribute tremendously to improving education the fishery sector in West Point. The government needs to build a full senior high school facilities in West Point. Given the congestion and limited open land, the government can consider space-efficient solutions, such as high-rise or multi-story facilities, or other designs that maximize limited land for educational purposes. With that, school-going kids can continue learning without being forced to migrate out of the township or abandon education.

Also, until adequate public education facilities are built within West Point, government must create an affordable transport system to reduce the cost barrier for students who aim to attend nearby schools outside the township. If the government genuinely respects the masses of the people, then its resources should reach West Point—not just during campaigns but as long-term development commitment. Education should not be dependent on a family's ability to pay for daily transportation. Transportation must be treated as part of education access, especially in communities where poverty is the primary barrier. Access to education must include transport, particularly in areas where poverty is the primary obstacle. Education must be treated as a constitutionally and internationally recognized right. The state should provide resources to West Point as a long-term development commitment, not just during elections, if it genuinely values equality.

Cde. Darius David Sumo is a member of the Liberian People’s Party; an Amílcar Cabral trained cadre. He is currently studying English Literature and Media & Communication at the University of Liberia. Cde. Sumo can be contacted via WhatsApp at +231777490692 or email: dariussumo@gmail.com.