Hails Rep. Sumo Mulbah As “Champion Of Social Work In Liberia”

NASOWL OFFICIAL PRESS STATEMENT

A nation is not measured by how it treats those at the top, but by how it lifts those at the bottom. Yesterday, July 16, 2026, Liberia took one more step toward becoming that kind of nation.

The National Association of Social Workers of Liberia (NASOWL) joins the entire social work fraternity, development partners (including UNICEF particularly), and the Liberian public in celebrating a landmark achievement for the social protection sector: the passage, by the House of Representatives, of the Bill for the Establishment of the Council on Social Work Education and Practice, 2025 (the “COSWEP Bill”).

The Bill was passed on Thursday, July 16, 2026, following its introduction on the floor of the House in February 2026, by Honorable Sumo Mulbah, Representative of Montserrado County Electoral District #3, and after four months of rigorous review by a specialized legislative committee. The Bill now proceeds to the Liberian Senate for concurrence.

NASOWL extends its profound gratitude and congratulations to Speaker Richard Koon Nagbe, the Leadership, and the entire membership of the House of Representatives for their vision, diligence, and commitment to the professionalization of social work in Liberia. The vote on Thursday, July 16, 2026 reflects a clear recognition by our lawmakers that social workers – who stand on the frontlines of child protection, gender-based violence response, family strengthening, community development, and post-conflict recovery – deserve a statutory framework that regulates their training, protects the public they serve, and elevates the integrity of their practice.

NASOWL wishes to single out and honor Honorable Sumo Mulbah for his exceptional leadership, tireless advocacy, and unwavering commitment to this cause since NASOWL first presented the draft Bill to him in January 2026. From championing its introduction on the floor of the House to shepherding it through committee review, Representative Mulbah has demonstrated the kind of legislative courage and dedication to social welfare that Liberia urgently needs. In recognition of this outstanding service to Liberia and to posterity, NASOWL proudly confers upon Honorable Mulbah the honorary title of “Champion of Social Work in Liberia.” His name will forever be linked to this historic milestone in the professional history of social work and in the archives of Liberian history.

The Council on Social Work Education and Practice, once established, will be a transformative institution for Liberia’s social protection architecture. It will achieve the following objectives, to wit:

1. Regulate and standardize the training and practice of social work nationwide;
2. Ensure that only qualified, competent, and ethical persons and institutions engage in social work practice and education;
3. Protect vulnerable populations (including children, survivors of violence, persons with disabilities, and families in crisis) from unprofessional or unethical service delivery;
4. Accredit social work education programs to guarantee quality and consistency across universities and colleges;
5. Establish and enforce a national Code of Ethics and standards of professional conduct; and
6. Position Liberia’s social work profession in line with international best practices, in keeping with our obligations as a member of the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW).

Social work is not a peripheral profession; it is central to nation-building. Liberia’s social workers have been at the heart of our recovery from war, our fight against poverty, our response to public health emergencies including Ebola and COVID-19, and our ongoing efforts to protect children and strengthen families. It is only fitting that the profession itself now receives the legal recognition, regulation, and respect it has long deserved.

NASOWL acknowledges with deep appreciation the sustained support of UNICEF Liberia and the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, whose partnership and advocacy efforts have been instrumental in advancing the professionalization of social work in Liberia. Their continued investment in strengthening Liberia’s social service workforce reflects a shared understanding that a regulated, professionalized social work sector is a cornerstone of an effective national social protection system.

NASOWL respectfully and urgently calls upon the distinguished members of the Liberian Senate to expeditiously take up this Bill and concur with the House of Representatives without delay. Every month of delay is a month in which Liberia’s social protection system continues to operate without the regulatory safeguards this Council will provide. The vulnerable children, families, and communities that social workers serve every day cannot afford further delay. We ask the Senate to match the courage and speed demonstrated by the House and send this Bill to the President’s desk for signature without hesitation.

NASOWL further calls on UNICEF, the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, international development partners, civil society organizations, and all stakeholders committed to strengthening Liberia’s social protection system to rally behind NASOWL’s leadership in this final push. Your continued advocacy, technical support, and solidarity are needed now more than ever to ensure the Senate acts swiftly and the Council on Social Work Education and Practice becomes a reality.

Together, we can make Liberia one of the leading nations in Africa with a fully regulated, professionalized, and dignified social work sector. Social work, we should underscore, is not just a job; it is a lifeline for the vulnerable. Let us protect the protectors.