Published: June 2, 2026
Monrovia – Liberia’s decentralization effort is at risk of failing due to a $179.4 million funding gap, weak institutions, and procurement delays that are preventing county governments from meeting the development priorities their residents have identified, a new study reveals.
The report, commissioned by Naymote Partners for Democratic Development and released Tuesday at the Governance Commission in Monrovia, evaluated decentralization efforts in Bong, Grand Bassa, and Margibi counties over 13 months. It found that, although local authorities are mostly focusing on projects that meet community needs, the funding to carry out those projects is not arriving, and the institutions responsible for managing it are too weak to demand accountability when it does not.
Naymote Executive Director Eddie D. Jarwolo, speaking at the policy brief launch under the Strengthening Political Governance and Accountability in Liberia Program, stated that the main question driving the research was whether resources promised to counties are turning into real development results for citizens.
The answer, the data suggests, is largely no.
The County Development Agenda envisions $5 million annually for each county, amounting to approximately $56.9 million over five years. But actual allocations through the County Development Fund, Social Development Fund and County Service Centers for the three counties studied totaled only $2.29 million in Fiscal Year 2025. Citizens in those counties identified development priorities valued at approximately $25.9 million, producing an immediate financing gap and an estimated 85% funding shortfall.
“Since the 2012 decentralization efforts and the 2024 Local Government Act, physical structures like County Councils and County Development Officers are now in place,” Jarwolo said. “But we want stakeholders to challenge the data and findings, not the people involved.”
Projects Aligned With Citizens, But Stalled by Funding
Presenting the study’s findings, consultant Benedict Kolubah said the research examined fiscal devolution and institutional readiness under Liberia’s decentralization framework, including the Local Government Act, the National Policy on Decentralization and Local Governance and the government’s ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development.
Despite the funding constraints, county authorities are largely choosing the right projects. Overall, 81.6% of county projects were aligned with County Development Agenda priorities. Bong County recorded the highest alignment rate at 88.2%, followed by Margibi at 85.7% and Grand Bassa at 72.2%.
The problem is not the priorities. It is the money and the systems needed to move it. The report found that procurement processes increasingly favor smaller, technically ready projects while larger community-prioritized initiatives remain stalled due to insufficient funding, delayed planning and limited technical preparation.
Weak Institutions, Political Interference
The study identified institutional weakness as a compounding factor. County Development Steering Committees, County Councils and County Treasuries all showed signs of limited capacity, irregular operations and vulnerability to political interference. Many citizens are aware that these structures exist but do not fully understand what they are supposed to do, a gap that undermines participatory governance and makes accountability harder to enforce.
“Decentralization in Liberia risks remaining aspirational rather than transformative unless urgent reforms are implemented,” the report warned.
Kolubah said the cumulative effect of underfunding, weak institutions and procurement bottlenecks is a governance system that has the architecture of decentralization without the substance, and that risks reinforcing rather than reducing inequalities between Monrovia and the counties.
“Achieving these goals will require stronger political commitment, predictable fiscal transfers and effective implementation mechanisms to ensure county governments can deliver on citizen priorities,” he said.
Recommendations
The study calls for adoption of a needs-based fiscal transfer model linked to County Development Agenda priorities, operationalization of local revenue retention mechanisms, improved procurement transparency and technical readiness for major projects, clearer mandates for County Development Steering Committees and County Councils, stronger county financial management and implementation capacity, and enhanced citizen participation and accountability mechanisms.
Government and Anti-Corruption Officials Respond
A representative from the Ministry of Local Government welcomed the findings, describing civil society organizations as offering a valuable third-eye perspective that helps the government identify gaps. The official acknowledged that, although government data varies in some areas, many of the report’s conclusions align with results from recent governance workshops and national assessments.
Randolph E.V. Tebbs Sr., Oversight Commissioner in the Monitoring and Investigation Department of the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission, said excessive centralization remains a central obstacle to effective service delivery and called on the Ministry of Finance to ensure timely disbursements for decentralization programs.
“There is a critical need for the Ministry of Finance to ensure that investments for these programs are made on time to avoid delays in service delivery,” Tebbs said.
Governance Commission Acting Chairman Dr. Alaric K. Tokpa praised Naymote and its partners for the assessment and urged policymakers not to file the report away.
“Let it challenge us to strengthen implementation, deepen citizen participation, enhance local accountability and accelerate the realization of the objectives embodied in the Local Government Act of 2018,” Tokpa said. “The true measure of the success of decentralization will not be found in the laws we enact or the institutions we establish. It will be found in stronger communities, better public services, greater citizen participation and improved livelihoods for the people we serve.”
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