By: Julius Konton
Liberian President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr. held a high-level bilateral meeting on Wednesday with Gambian President Adama Barrow on the sidelines of the 17th edition of the MEDays Forum, an annual global summit that brings together more than 5,000 participants from over 90 countries to discuss geopolitics, global governance, and sustainable development.
The tête-à-tête described by both delegations as cordial and forward looking focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation between Liberia and The Gambia, with emphasis on regional stability, economic integration, trade expansion, and joint responses to ongoing political and security challenges across West Africa.
With ECOWAS facing unprecedented test ranging from political upheavals to violent extremism, the two leaders underscored the urgency of coordinated regional action.
According to ECOWAS data, West Africa has recorded a sharp rise in security incidents, with more than 4,000 conflict-related deaths in 2024 alone, primarily due to insurgent activities in the Sahel.
President Boakai emphasized Liberia’s commitment to working closely with The Gambia and other ECOWAS member states to reinforce peacebuilding mechanisms, support constitutional order, and restore stability in areas threatened by democratic backsliding.
The meeting also explored opportunities for expanding economic ties, including agriculture, trade, education, and institutional capacity development.
Liberia and The Gambia currently maintain modest trade volumes estimated at less than US$10 million annually but both leaders expressed strong interest in boosting collaboration by leveraging regional trade frameworks such as the ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme (ETLS) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which has a combined market value of US$3.4 trillion.
President Boakai highlighted Liberia’s ongoing economic reforms aimed at modernizing public financial management, boosting food production, and attracting investment.
He noted that strengthened ties with The Gambia would complement Liberia’s efforts to increase regional agricultural cooperation and expand training opportunities in education and governance.
For his part, Gambian President Adama Barrow reaffirmed his government’s readiness to deepen collaboration.
He underscored The Gambia’s commitment to partnership-driven development and expressed optimism that the renewed engagement with Liberia will produce tangible outcomes in areas such as youth development, tourism exchange, digital governance, and maritime cooperation.
He added that with both nations sharing similar historical, cultural, and economic profiles, enhanced cooperation can serve as a model for broader intra-African solidarity.
The leaders’ meeting further emphasized the longstanding diplomatic relations between Liberia and The Gambia, both founding members of ECOWAS.
Their engagement is expected to contribute to ongoing regional deliberations at the MEDays Forum, often dubbed the “Davos of the Global South,” which this year focuses on geopolitical realignment, African integration, and sustainable economic transformation.
The discussion concluded with a commitment to establish follow-up technical engagements between the two governments to translate the outcomes of the dialogue into concrete bilateral initiatives in the coming months.
