We received the sad news of the passing of our brother and leader, Prof. Presley Kaybe Wesseh, Jr., in a tragic car accident on Monday, March 4, 2024, in his native home of Liberia.

Prof. Wesseh was an associate Professor of Economics at Xiàmén University in China and a Research Fellow with immense scholarly contributions in China and beyond. Indeed, in 2021, he received the prestigious "Highly Cited Researcher in China" award by Elsevier, the world's largest scholarly journals publisher.

In his passing, OAAD, Liberia, Africa, and indeed the world have lost a brilliant mind who made important contributions in the fields of economics and energy development.

Prof. Wesseh was one of the pillars of OAAD. He was passionate about building a community spirit and cared deeply about Africa's future, despite being busy with private commitments. Not only did he frequently keep in touch with our president and other stakeholders, to get updates on OAAD projects, he was also a member of our Advisory Committee of Professors, a member of our Electoral Board, and an active participant in two research groups. In fact, prior to his death, he was the main driver of one of our Research Group manuscripts. Prof. Wesseh was also a mentor to many of our younger ones, providing guidance to them as their de facto supervisor when supervisors in their schools fell short.

As per funeral arrangements announced by the family, Prof. Wesseh will be laid to rest on Saturday, April 6, 2024.

May Prof. Presley K. Wesseh rest in peace, and may his sterling achievements and all-round dedication inspire us all to be even more committed to our collective and individual pursuit of the OAAD vision "to enhance the quality of life in Africa, through research, technology and innovation".

Raymond E. Eyo
OAAD Dir. of Public Relations