New Liberian president vows to bolster economy

Joseph Nyumah Boakai has been sworn in as Liberia's 26th president, and he has pledged to strive for economic prosperity for the western African country while providing more opportunities for the young population.

The 79-year-old former vice-president won the country's November presidential runoff elections against then-president George Weah.

At the swearing-in ceremony in the capital Monrovia on Monday, Boakai pledged to strengthen cooperation with regional partners, including the Economic Community of West African States and the African Union, on what he termed as "continent-wide initiatives" aimed at improving the lives of the Liberian people.