MONROVIA: President Joseph Nyuma Boakai Sr. has officially proclaimed Sunday, July 26, 2026, as Liberia's 179th Independence Day, with the nationwide public observance to take place on Monday, July 27, when government offices and business establishments across the country will close in honor of the Republic's historic founding.
The proclamation, issued Wednesday through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, calls on all Liberian citizens and foreign residents within the country's territorial boundaries to observe the occasion as a national holiday commemorating Liberia's declaration of independence on July 26, 1847.
According to the proclamation, all government ministries, agencies, commissions and business houses are to suspend operations from 6:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. on Monday, July 27, in observance of the national celebration.
This year's official Independence Day festivities will be hosted in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County, under the national theme: "Strengthening National Identity Through Liberian-led Historical Leadership."
The Boakai administration said, the theme underscores its commitment to strengthening patriotism, preserving Liberia's historical legacy, and promoting national unity through a renewed appreciation of the country's unique heritage and leadership traditions.
In the proclamation, President Boakai also called on Liberians to dedicate the occasion to prayer, thanksgiving and national reflection.
He urged citizens to join prelates, priests, deacons, evangelists, imams, elders and other members of the sacerdotal order, irrespective of religious affiliation, in places of worship throughout the country—including cities, towns, villages and homes—with special emphasis on Buchanan, where the national celebration will be centered.
The President encouraged the nation to offer gratitude to the Almighty God for His abundant blessings, protection and guidance throughout Liberia's history while praying for continued peace, unity, prosperity and divine favor for the Republic.
The proclamation states that Independence Day is observed in grateful recognition of God's enduring mercy and miraculous deliverance of Liberia throughout its existence, while honoring the courageous and visionary decision of the nation's forebears to declare the country an independent republic on July 26, 1847.
It further recounts that, following careful deliberations over the future of the settlement amid growing colonial threats, Liberia's founding fathers proclaimed the historic Declaration of Independence, presenting the Commonwealth of Liberia to the international community as a free, sovereign and independent state.
That landmark declaration, the proclamation notes, enabled Liberia to resist colonial encroachment and secured its place in history as Africa's first independent republic.
"In His infinite goodness and mercy, God has blessed and prospered the work of the minds, hearts and hands of all the people of the Republic of Liberia from July 1847 when this nation was declared a free, sovereign and independent state; and from thenceforth, through the years of our national existence, manifold and varied have been the experiences of the nation and its people, who through it all have been able to forge their way by dint of perseverance, devotion and courage," the proclamation declares.
President Boakai emphasized that the annual observance is not only a celebration of Liberia's sovereignty but also an opportunity for citizens to reaffirm their commitment to national unity, peace and collective development.
The proclamation was issued pursuant to the Patriotic and Cultural Observances Law, Title 26 of the Liberian Code of Laws of 1956, which designates July 26 of each year as Independence Day and mandates its observance as a national holiday commemorating the birth of the Republic of Liberia.
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