Published: September 23, 2025
MONROVIA — A high-level delegation from the U.S. Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) arrived in Liberia on Monday to assess the country’s readiness for a potential second compact.
The team is led by Carrie Monahan, MCC’s managing director for Africa, who said the visit will center on a new “constraints-to-growth” analysis to identify sectors with the greatest potential to drive inclusive and sustainable economic development. She said the mission aims to build on Liberia’s first compact, which funded major projects including the rehabilitation of the Mount Coffee Hydro Plant.
“MCC is working with the Liberian government, civil society, and the private sector to understand the country’s current development needs, while exploring opportunities to attract both U.S. and Liberian investment,” Monahan said. She added that the approach reflects Washington’s renewed emphasis on “trade, not aid.”
The delegation includes senior experts in economics, trade, and finance, among them Deidre Fair, director of finance and trade; economists Steve Anderson, Peter Glick and Sophia Marcus; finance and trade specialist Sheena Cooper; and Arif Mamun, deputy vice president for the Economic Analysis Division.
Over the weeklong mission, the MCC team will meet with the Ministry of Finance, the Central Bank of Liberia, the National Investment Commission, the Liberia Institute of Statistics and Geo-Information Services, the Ministry of Mines and Energy, and the Liberia Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative. Engagements are also planned with the Liberia Revenue Authority, the Special Economic Zone Authority, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, and the Liberia Chamber of Commerce.
Finance and Development Planning Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan welcomed the delegation at Roberts International Airport, saying Liberia is committed to deepening cooperation with MCC.
“The success of the first compact gives us hope that this round of engagement will yield better outcomes that strengthen our economy and unify our people,” Ngafuan said.
MCC’s visit comes ahead of its December board meeting, when Liberia’s eligibility for a second compact will be reviewed. The process had been delayed amid U.S. political transitions and shifts in development policy.
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