By: Julius Konton
A damning new independent assessment by Naymote Partners for Democratic Development has cast serious doubt on the Liberian government’s ability to deliver its flagship ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development (AAID), revealing that less than one percent of promised interventions were fully completed during President Joseph Nyuma Boakai Sr.’s first year in office.
The President Meter Report 2025, released this week, tracks government performance from January to December 2025, offering the most comprehensive, evidence-based evaluation to date of Liberia’s national development blueprint, launched with high public expectations on January 15, 2025.
The findings are stark.
The reports shows that out of 378 policy interventions spread across 52 core programs and six strategic pillars, only three interventions, just 0.8% were fully implemented within the first twelve months.
Even more concerning, over half of the interventions (55.5%) were either inactive or could not be independently verified due to lack of public data, raising troubling questions about transparency, coordination, and political follow-through, Naymote boss, Eddie Jarwolo added.
A GOVERNMENT MOVING BUT AT WHAT SPEED?
According to Naymote’s analysis, 165 interventions (43.7%) showed some level of progress, while 76 interventions (20.1%) had not commenced at all.
Another 134 interventions (35.4%) were deemed “not assessable”, largely because ministries and agencies failed to publish sufficient implementation data.
In governance terms, experts warn that non-reporting is not a neutral outcome.
“When over one-third of national development commitments cannot be verified, the problem is not just performance, it is accountability,” a governance analyst familiar with the report noted.
Naymote cautions that at the current pace, Liberia’s government would need to accelerate implementation by more than twenty times to meet the AAID’s 2029 targets, an assessment that sharply contrasts with the administration’s public optimism.
WINNERS AND LOSERS AMONG THE SIX PILLARS
Performance across the AAID’s six pillars was uneven, revealing a government struggling to translate ambition into execution.
Governance and Anti-Corruption led with a 56.9% activation rate, buoyed by digital governance reforms and legislative activity.
Environmental Sustainability followed closely at 56.7%, largely supported by donor-backed climate initiatives.
Infrastructure Development posted a 55.3% activation rate, reflecting visible road, energy, and public works projects.
However, the pillars most critical to everyday livelihoods performed worst.
Human Capital Development recorded a weak 36.7% activation rate, undermined by underfunded education and health programs.
Economic Transformation, the pillar expected to generate jobs and growth, fared even worse at 35%, exposing persistent structural constraints and limited private-sector stimulation.
Critics argue this imbalance reflects a familiar pattern: projects that attract donor visibility advance faster than reforms requiring deep institutional coordination.
DECENTRALIZATION STILL A PROMISE, NOT A REALITY
Perhaps the most politically sensitive findings relate to county-level service delivery.
Naymote’s assessment of County Service Centers shows that more than 60% of core government services remain unavailable outside Monrovia, reinforcing long-standing concerns that Liberia’s decentralization agenda exists largely on paper.
For rural citizens, the report suggests, the ARREST Agenda has yet to materially change access to public services, economic opportunity, or administrative justice.
BRIGHT SPOTS AND WHAT THEY PROVE
Despite the critical tone, the report identifies clear areas of progress, underscoring that delivery is possible when conditions align.
Among the notable achievements:
Establishment of the War and Economic Crimes Court Office
Biometric national ID registration reaching over 710,000 citizens
Pilot rollout of e-procurement systems
Legislative reforms and targeted investments in agriculture, energy, and tourism
These successes, Naymote argues, expose a deeper truth: Liberia’s development challenge is not a lack of ideas, but inconsistent political prioritization, weak execution frameworks, and fragmented institutional leadership.
A WARNING SHOT TO THE ADMINISTRATION
Naymote stops short of declaring the ARREST Agenda a failure, but its conclusions amount to a clear warning.
Without urgent corrective action including the creation of a dedicated AAID coordination secretariat, mandatory quarterly public reporting, stronger budget execution discipline, and real decentralization of authority and resources , Liberia risks repeating the cycle of ambitious plans followed by underwhelming results.
The report was produced under Naymote’s Democracy Advancement Program, with support from the Embassy of Sweden and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida).
Naymote stresses that the findings reflect its independent analysis and not necessarily the views of its partners.
WATCHDOG ROLE CONTINUES
As political pressure mounts, Naymote has pledged to continue quarterly monitoring of the AAID through 2029, publishing findings publicly and engaging government institutions, civil society, media, and citizens.
In a country where development plans have often outpaced delivery, the President Meter Report 2025 positions itself not just as a scorecard but as a test of whether Liberia’s new administration can turn promises into measurable, inclusive results.
