Published: August 26, 2026
MONROVIA — A four-member Liberian delegation has returned from China with a renewed push for greater investment in agriculture, agro-processing, rural infrastructure, clean energy and youth entrepreneurship after participating in a training program focused on poverty reduction and sustainable development.
The delegation participated in the 2026 Training Program for African Grassroots Cadres on Poverty Alleviation in Qinghai Province, where members were exposed to China’s approaches to poverty reduction, rural revitalization, agricultural modernization and sustainable development.
Led by James Kollie Galakpai, CEO and founder of the Liberia Feed Yourself Agriculture Initiative Inc. (LIFAI-Inc.), the delegation said the experience provided practical lessons that could help Liberia strengthen agriculture, create jobs and accelerate development in rural communities.
“We did not travel to China simply to see development. We traveled to learn how development is organized, and we now return to Liberia with the responsibility to transform what we learned into action,” Galakpai said.
During the training, the delegation visited agricultural demonstration centers, solar-energy facilities, industrial companies, emergency-management centers and the Qinghai Lake National Nature Reserve.
Galakpai said the experience demonstrated that agriculture can become a major driver of employment and economic transformation when supported by adequate infrastructure, technology, investment and effective planning.
The delegation particularly highlighted lessons from China’s poverty-reduction and rural development programs, stressing the importance of sustained support for communities even after they emerge from poverty.
Members said Liberia must strengthen rural roads, electricity, safe drinking water, health care, education, digital connectivity and climate-resilient infrastructure if rural communities are to become productive centers of economic activity.
Visits to the Tala Breach Photovoltaic Industrial Park, Qianziyuan Agriculture Science and Technology Expo Park and Qinghai Hoh Xil Food Co., Ltd. also exposed the Liberian participants to renewable energy, agricultural technology, food processing and value addition.
The delegation said Liberia should move beyond concentrating largely on agricultural production and develop complete value chains covering mechanization, storage, processing, packaging, transportation and access to markets.
Such an approach, Galakpai said, could reduce agricultural losses while creating business and employment opportunities, particularly for young Liberians.
Drawing lessons from visits to the Xining Emergency Command Center and a post-disaster relocation community, Galakpai also called for stronger disaster preparedness, early-warning systems and climate-resilient agricultural practices in Liberia.
The delegation urged the Liberian government to consider establishing agricultural science and technology demonstration parks, expanding agro-processing and promoting solar energy in rural communities. It also called for improved access to financing and technical assistance for youth-led agricultural enterprises.
Galakpai said young Liberians should not simply remain beneficiaries of development initiatives but should become owners and drivers of the country’s economic transformation.
He expressed appreciation to Agriculture Minister Dr. J. Alexander Nuetah, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Monrovia, the Foreign Affairs Office of Qinghai Province, Chinese hosts and trainers, and fellow African participants for facilitating the experience.
The Liberian delegation comprised James Kollie Galakpai, head of delegation; John Selma, CEO of Selma Agriculture Development Cooperation; Marline Tokpah Jarwoe, human resource officer at the Ministry of Local Government in Bong County; and Abel Papalom Varney, CEO of Agro Links Enterprise Inc.
Galakpai said the delegation returned to Liberia determined to move beyond the training experience and translate lessons learned in China into practical initiatives capable of contributing to the country’s agricultural modernization, rural development and poverty-reduction efforts.
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