More commitment to promote Liberia’s social protection sector

Published: September 3, 2025

MONROVIA — Stakeholders have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening Liberia’s social protection sector, following a meeting of the National Social Protection Steering Committee (NSPSC) in Monrovia.

Key decisions included updating the National Social Protection Policy and Strategy and placing greater focus on the welfare component of the National Social Security and Welfare Corporation (NASSCORP). Partners said improved coordination among actors in the sector will enhance the effectiveness of programs and deliver meaningful support to Liberia’s most vulnerable populations.

“We are looking forward to a more pragmatic approach to addressing the basic challenges faced by vulnerable people in Liberia,” said Aurelius Butler, national coordinator for social protection at the REALISE Project. “The new National Social Protection Policy and Strategy will incorporate contemporary issues that were overlooked in the previous policy, which expired in 2019.”

Curtis Doley, acting chairperson of the NSPSC and deputy minister for research, policy and planning at the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, emphasized the government’s determination to reduce poverty.

“The Government of Liberia is deliberate about lifting people out of poverty and creating opportunities for the most vulnerable,” Doley said. “This is evident in the level of attention and resources being directed toward the social protection sector.”

Liberia’s Social Protection Landscape

Liberia’s social protection programs aim to reduce poverty, vulnerability and social exclusion. Interventions include cash transfers, public works programs, school feeding and social insurance schemes targeting children, the elderly, persons with disabilities and households living in extreme poverty.

The government collaborates with development partners such as the World Bank, UNICEF, the World Food Program, AFD and SIDA, along with civil society organizations.

The NSPSC plays a central role in aligning government and partner interventions under a unified national framework. It is chaired by the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection and includes the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Youth and Sports, NASSCORP and the Liberia Agency for Community Empowerment.