Published: April 18, 2025
MONROVIA — President Joseph Nyuma Boakai has called on the United Nations and Liberia’s international partners to shift their approach from treating the consequences of Liberia’s developmental setbacks to addressing their root causes — including poverty, joblessness, and weak institutions.
Speaking Thursday at a high-level donor and partnership retreat hosted at the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Ministerial Complex in Monrovia, Boakai said sustainable peace and national transformation depend on solving the underlying drivers of underdevelopment rather than simply funding peacekeeping or humanitarian interventions.
“This is not just about peacebuilding after conflict,” President Boakai said. “It’s about building the foundation for lasting peace through jobs, incomes, infrastructure, and inclusive governance.”
The event, dubbed the Government-Development Partners Retreat (G-DPR), brought together key government officials, foreign diplomats, and donor agencies to realign support around Liberia’s five-year development blueprint — the Agenda for Accelerated and Inclusive Development (AAID), a plan projected to cost $8.4 billion.
Strategic Shift Toward Results-Driven Partnerships
Under the theme, “Strengthening Partnerships for the Implementation of Liberia’s National Plan – AAID,” the retreat sought to deepen engagement around innovative financing and effective delivery of development programs across six priority sectors: agriculture, roads, rule of law and governance, education, sanitation and health, and tourism.
President Boakai reaffirmed his government’s commitment to transparent and accountable partnerships, pledging to work closely with the private sector, civil society, and grassroots actors.
“We understand that real development is not driven from the top down,” Boakai said. “It must come through collective ownership — and that means building a system where international support aligns with our national priorities.”
Development Through Growth, Not Dependence
Boakai emphasized that economic transformation must serve as the bedrock for national peace and progress. He called for sustained efforts to tackle unemployment, social inequality, and marginalization — especially among women, youth, and persons with disabilities.
“Liberia cannot thrive if large segments of its population are left behind,” he said.
UN Calls for Resilience, Creative Financing
UN Resident Coordinator Christine N. Umutoni praised Liberia’s resolve to pursue inclusive growth despite numerous challenges. She encouraged development partners to look beyond traditional aid and consider domestic resource mobilization, diaspora engagement, and private-sector-driven models.
“The future of development assistance must be innovative,” Umutoni said. “That includes formalizing the informal economy, adopting program-based budgeting, and empowering local systems to deliver results.”
She also called for bolstering Liberia’s resilience by investing in people and institutions, rather than treating symptoms through short-term interventions.
Finance Minister Warns of Financial Headwinds
Minister of Finance and Development Planning Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan painted a sobering picture of Liberia’s fiscal landscape, revealing the country lost an estimated $300 million in development financing within a single month due to the cancellation of major international projects.
“We are now operating in a world where traditional donors are scaling back,” Ngafuan said. “This retreat is not just a conversation — it’s a strategy session for action.”
Ngafuan said the Boakai administration remains fully committed to implementing the ARREST Agenda, the national policy framework that anchors the AAID plan.
Rethinking Aid and Regional Solutions
Foreign Minister Sarah Beysolow Nyanti urged both donors and Liberians to embrace a new model of development based on mutual accountability and regional partnerships.
“We need to move from aid dependency to sustainable collaboration,” she said, citing Liberia’s recent engagement with Burkina Faso, which has opened up new economic opportunities for women in Lofa County.
Nyanti called for increased use of country systems and honest dialogue to ensure resources are reaching the people they are meant to help.
Toward a Shared Vision
As the retreat closed, President Boakai reiterated that Liberia’s future depends not on charity, but on coordinated and courageous leadership — both domestic and international.
“We must move beyond rhetoric,” he said. “Let us work together to change not only Liberia’s circumstances but its trajectory.”
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