By: Julius Konton
Liberia’s Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan, has urged the leadership of the National Port Authority (NPA) to ensure full implementation of its newly launched Five-Year Strategic Plan (2025–2030), emphasizing that effective execution is key to the country’s economic transformation.
“When you’re planning, thinking, or strategizing, some will think you’re doing nothing,” Minister Ngafuan remarked. “If you do not plan well, you will fail well.
It’s one thing to do the plan; it’s another to work the plan”, he re-emphasized.
Local Expertise and National Empowerment
Serving as Keynote Speaker at the official launch ceremony, Minister Ngafuan commended the NPA for engaging Liberian consultancy firms in developing the plan.
He described such approach as a “new day for Liberia,” highlighting the importance of empowering domestic professionals to build institutional capacity.
“How do they become strong if they aren’t allowed to get contracts?” he asked, stressing that local expertise must be trusted and supported to sustain national progress.
Linking the NPA’s Vision to Liberia’s ARREST Agenda
Ngafuan connected the NPA’s strategic direction to the government’s ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development (AAID), emphasizing that port efficiency directly drives national growth.
“Operational efficiency at the port helps every Liberian,” he said. “When we enhance turnaround time, service costs are reduced and that directly eases the bread-and-butter challenges faced by ordinary citizens”, he added.
A $550 Million Vision for Port Transformation
In his remarks, Sekou A. M. Dukuly, Managing Director of the NPA, described the new plan as “a bold move on port transformation” and a cornerstone for achieving Liberia’s economic potential.
He said the $550 million strategic plan is anchored on five strategic pillars summarized as RESET: Namely; Reform Governance, Enhance Efficiency, Strengthen Financial Management, Establish Inland Terminals and Transform Infrastructure.
“Our ports have been treated for too long as just revenue collection points,” Dukuly stated. “Today, we are changing that narrative”, Dukuly reassured the public.
Driving Modernization and Regional Connectivity
According to him, The RESET Agenda outlines a roadmap to modernize Liberia’s port governance framework, digitize operations, and upgrade infrastructure.
It also he stated envisions the creation of inland container terminals to ease congestion at the Freeport of Monrovia, while strengthening trade corridors with Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Côte d’Ivoire.
“We are moving Liberia’s ports from maintenance to modernization, from dependency to diversification, and from isolation to a united port system,” noted, the NPA boss.
Commitment to Sustainable Investment
Reaffirming the NPA’s dedication to sustainability, Dukuly announced that 15 to 20 percent of the Authority’s annual revenue will be allocated to a newly created Port Infrastructure Investment Fund, which will finance future development projects.
He expressed appreciation to Minister Ngafuan for his continued support of Liberia’s infrastructure and development priorities, aligning with the broader objectives of the ARREST Agenda.
“We aim to facilitate trade and manage Liberia’s ports with efficiency, transparency, and commercial excellence,” Dukuly added.
Event Attendance and Stakeholder Support
The launch event brought together key government officials, development partners, and private sector representatives, including:
Rev. J. Luther Tarpeh, Chairman, NPA Board of Directors, Clarence Massaquoi, Head of the Liberia Telecommunications Authority, Senior officials from the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning,Port users, business leaders, and international development partners.
The National Port Authority of Liberia is responsible for managing and operating all public seaports in the country. Its mission is to promote economic growth by ensuring efficient, safe, and sustainable port operations that connect Liberia to regional and global markets.
