Published: June 24, 2026
VIENNA, Austria – Liberia has secured US$30 million from the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa to pave the Salayea to Konia road, a corridor the government says will lower transport costs, speed the movement of goods and widen access to markets, clinics and schools across Bong and Lofa counties.
The agreement was signed Tuesday in Vienna on the sidelines of the OPEC Fund Development Forum, in what the Boakai administration cast as another step in its drive to modernize infrastructure and open economic opportunity in underserved regions. Finance and Development Planning Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan signed for the Government of Liberia, and BADEA President Abdullah Almusaibeeh signed for the bank.
The money will upgrade the Salayea to Konia stretch, a segment of the Gbarnga to Mendikorma Highway that links northwestern Liberia to domestic and regional trade routes. Once finished, the road is expected to shorten travel times and ease the transport of farm produce from some of the country’s most productive growing areas, while drawing private investment and creating jobs.
Ngafuan called the deal a vote of confidence in Liberia’s development agenda. “On behalf of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai and the Government and people of Liberia, I extend sincere appreciation to BADEA for this significant investment in our nation’s infrastructure. This financing demonstrates confidence in Liberia’s development trajectory and will have a transformative impact on communities across Bong and Lofa Counties,” he said.
He said the project complements support from the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, the Saudi Fund for Development and the OPEC Fund, making it one of the largest road investments now underway in northwestern Liberia. Officials also expect the upgraded corridor to strengthen cross-border trade with Guinea and Sierra Leone under the Mano River Union.
Ngafuan said the government would move quickly toward ratification and construction, and disclosed that talks with BADEA continue on further projects, including the proposed Botota to Mendikorma electrification scheme, water supply systems for Ganta, Buchanan and Kakata, and sewage rehabilitation in Montserrado County.
The minister also followed up on Boakai’s invitation for BADEA and other Arab financing institutions to take part in Liberia’s 179th Independence Anniversary in July. The visit is expected to coincide with the dedication of the completed 81-kilometer Gbarnga to Salayea road, financed by BADEA and other Arab partners, and the launch of the next phase of the highway connecting Salayea, Konia and Voinjama. Almusaibeeh thanked Boakai and said preparations were underway for a July trip to attend both events.
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