By: Julius Konton
Liberia’s Finance and Development Planning Minister, Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan, says President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s administration has already begun delivering what he described as an “early Christmas” for the Liberian people, pointing to a wave of positive developments across education, infrastructure, fiscal management and financial inclusion.
Speaking on Monday at the launch of the Excellence in Learning Liberia (EXCEL) project in Monrovia, Ngafuan outlined a series of government interventions and donor-supported initiatives that he said demonstrate renewed momentum under the Boakai-led government.
“Mr. President said his duty was not to curse the darkness, but to light a candle and he is lighting that candle across every sector,” Ngafuan said.
Advance Payments, Machinery and Infrastructure Push
Ngafuan disclosed that the government has begun making advance payments to contractors, enabling the shipment of heavy construction equipment commonly referred to as “yellow machines” to Liberia.
He credited Vice President Jeremiah Kpahn Koung for facilitating the process, which is expected to accelerate road and public works projects nationwide.
Infrastructure remains a major constraint to economic growth in Liberia, where the World Bank estimates that poor road access increases transport costs by up to 50 percent during the rainy season.
EU Budget Support and Fiscal Confidence
The Finance Minister also announced that the European Union, in partnership with the Liberian government, would formally declare the disbursement of a significant tranche of budget support to Liberia an endorsement he said reflects growing international confidence in the country’s fiscal discipline and reform agenda.
Budget support provides direct financing to government systems and is often conditioned on transparency, macroeconomic stability and public financial management reforms.
Mobile Money Interoperability Launched
In a major step toward financial inclusion, Ngafuan revealed that the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL) and the Ministry of Finance are launching full interoperability between Liberia’s two mobile network operators, allowing customers to send and receive money seamlessly across networks.
Mobile money services currently serve more than 60 percent of Liberia’s adult population, according to CBL estimates, making interoperability a potential catalyst for small business growth, remittances and rural financial access.
Education as Economic Foundation
At the heart of Ngafuan’s remarks was the EXCEL project, which aims to reduce learning poverty and strengthen foundational education outcomes.
He acknowledged concerns that education investments may not immediately address “bread-and-butter” issues but argued that long-term prosperity depends on building human capital.
“We cannot only think about bread and butter for today; we must think about bread and butter for tomorrow,” he said, invoking the principle of intergenerational equity.
The government currently allocates approximately US$88 million to the education sector, with negotiations underway to secure an additional US$30 million-plus in donor support.
Liberia’s education spending remains below the UNESCO-recommended benchmark of 15–20 percent of national budgets, underscoring the importance of external financing.
Ngafuan praised Education Minister Dr. Jarso Jallah and her team for their leadership in implementing the EXCEL initiative and thanked development partners for their continued support.
$2 Billion Human Capital Target Under ARREST Agenda
Ngafuan reaffirmed the government’s ambition to mobilize US$2 billion for human capacity development under President Boakai’s ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development, despite global economic headwinds and domestic fiscal pressures.
Resources are being pooled from multiple partners, some channeled through the national budget and others through off-budget project financing.
He noted that critical sectors such as education and agriculture are receiving targeted investments even when projects are not explicitly reflected in annual budget documents.
Agriculture and Value Addition
The Finance Minister highlighted ongoing discussions with partners, including the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID), to support Special Agricultural Processing Zones (SAPZs) aimed at transforming Liberia’s agriculture sector from subsistence farming to value-added agribusiness.
Agriculture employs an estimated 70 percent of Liberia’s workforce, yet contributes less than 40 percent of GDP, reflecting low productivity and limited processing capacity.
Project Delays, Debt Service and Credibility
Ngafuan acknowledged that delays in project implementation some inherited from previous administrations have cost Liberia millions of dollars in commitment fees, especially on concessional loans.
He emphasized that the Boakai administration has prioritized honoring counterpart funding and debt service obligations, a strategy he said has strengthened Liberia’s credibility with international lenders.
“Next year alone, we have decided to repay US$25 million to the World Bank,” Ngafuan disclosed.
Failure to meet such obligations, he warned, often leads to stalled projects and loss of donor confidence.
Planning for a Lifetime
Quoting Chinese philosopher Confucius, Ngafuan concluded by framing education as a generational investment:
“If you are planning for a year, plant rice. If you are planning for a decade, plant trees. But if you are planning for a lifetime, educate people.”
He said President Boakai’s policies reflect planning “not for his time, but for generations to come,” insisting that today’s investments in education, infrastructure and fiscal discipline will define Liberia’s long-term development trajectory.
Editor’s Note
This article captures a defining moment in Liberia’s economic narrative under President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, as government signals renewed confidence at home and abroad through concrete fiscal, infrastructure and human capital initiatives.
Finance Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan’s remarks, delivered at the launch of the EXCEL education project, go beyond political optimism to outline measurable interventions from advance contractor payments and mobile money interoperability to budget support from the European Union and a clear commitment to debt servicing.
While the administration’s “Christmas before Christmas” framing underscores early momentum, the developments highlighted also illuminate the scale of Liberia’s enduring challenges: infrastructure deficits that inflate transport costs, education financing that remains below global benchmarks, and productivity gaps in agriculture.
The emphasis on education, financial inclusion and fiscal credibility suggests a deliberate shift toward long-term economic foundations rather than short-term relief.
Readers should view this report as both an account of emerging progress and a benchmark against which future delivery will be judged.
The credibility of the government’s reform agenda, and the sustainability of donor confidence, will ultimately rest on execution how swiftly projects move from announcement to impact, and how equitably the benefits reach ordinary Liberians in the months and years ahead.
