Published: May 27, 2025
MONROVIA — The Liberian government has accused the former administration of President George Weah of misappropriating $29 million in World Bank funding intended for a major road project in the southeast, a diversion it says stalled progress on the critical Ganta-to-Zwedru corridor for more than two years.
Public Works Minister Roland Giddings, speaking during a recent appearance on “Class Reloaded,” said the funds were earmarked for the Southeastern Corridor Road Asset Management Project, or SECRAMP—a public-private partnership designed to pave 225 kilometers from Ganta in Nimba County to Zwedru in Grand Gedeh County.
Instead, only 19 kilometers of road were completed under the CDC-led government before work came to a halt.
“The past government used $29 million out of the World Bank funding for the Tapita-to-Zwedru road for unknown expenses, which put the project to a halt until we took over,” Giddings said.
He noted that the World Bank was forced to restructure the agreement and withdraw certain financial guarantees due to the misuse, leaving the project in limbo. Contractors eventually abandoned the site, citing more than $5 million in unpaid arrears—debts the current government says it has since cleared.
Government Revives Project
Giddings said the administration of President Joseph Boakai has fully reactivated the corridor project, with construction visible from Ganta to Tapita. Contractors are currently mobilized and working to lay base courses before the peak of the rainy season.
“If you travel that stretch today, from Ganta through Saclepea to Tapita, you’ll see the progress. Contractors are back on site,” he said.
Beyond Tapita, Giddings said contracts have been finalized to pave a 40-kilometer stretch to Toe’s Town. Procurement is also underway for the final segment, from Toe’s Town to Zwedru, including a 10-kilometer extension to the Ivorian border.
The minister said full financing for the corridor has now been secured from multiple sources, including the African Development Bank, the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID), and ECOWAS.
Transformative Infrastructure
Once completed, the corridor will connect Monrovia to Liberia’s far southeastern counties via an all-weather paved road—a first in the nation’s history. The project is expected to drastically reduce travel time, improve trade routes, and enhance access to health care, education, and public services for thousands of residents.
The government also pointed to progress on regional connectivity, including a major bridge under construction over the Cavalla River, linking Grand Gedeh County with Côte d’Ivoire. The bridge project is financed by ECOWAS, and the Ivorian side of the road is already paved up to the Liberian border.
“We’ve inherited a broken project and turned it around,” Giddings said. “With the support of our partners and our commitment to the ARREST Agenda, this corridor will no longer be a dream—it will be a reality.”
He said the final legislative approval needed for the OFID financing is expected soon, paving the way—literally—for a fully connected southeastern Liberia.
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