NaFAA Secures US$325,000 FAO Grant for Modern Fish Market in Congo Town

Published: October 29, 2026

MONROVIA — The National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority has secured a US$325,000 grant from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations to build a modern fish market in Congo Town, Monrovia, with a 20-ton cold room to keep fish fresh for sale.

NaFAA said the grant, awarded under the FAO’s Technical Cooperation Programme, will fund a fish sales hub designed to cut the amount of fish lost to spoilage after it is landed, improve food safety and give artisanal fishers, aquaculture farmers and inland producers a reliable place to sell.

The authority said the cold room will keep fish fresh longer and extend the time it can be sold safely. NaFAA’s plans for the hub also include a hygienic system for handling fish waste, a fleet of refrigerated motorbikes to deliver fish to customers, a small seafood grill outlet for vendors and energy-efficient power systems. Fishmongers who trade at the hub will be trained in standardized units of measurement and related practices.

NaFAA plans to run the hub as a public-private partnership. It said private operators would bring capital and management expertise while the authority keeps oversight, so the market can sustain itself commercially. The model is part of NaFAA’s wider push to attract private investment into fisheries infrastructure and to create business for companies that transport, process, distribute and sell fish.

Part of the grant will go to the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture Sciences at the University of Liberia. NaFAA said the money will help the department develop small-scale fisheries guidelines and new curriculum, training modules and syllabi, linking the market project to training for the sector’s next generation.

NaFAA said the hub will give consumers steadier access to fish caught in Liberia’s ocean and inland waters, and help locally produced fish win greater recognition and higher prices. The authority said it will keep working with the FAO, the University of Liberia and private partners to deliver the project and strengthen livelihoods, food safety and jobs across the fisheries sector.