-Demands Truth and Transparency in Sector Reform
MONROVIA, Liberia — President Joseph Nyuma Boakai has ordered the Forestry Development Authority (FDA) to explain within one week a major discrepancy in Liberia’s official forest data, directing the agency to reconcile why reported forest cover has shifted from 4.3 million hectares in the 2004 National Forest Inventory to 6.6 million hectares in more recent reports.
Delivering the president’s message at the opening of the National Forest Forum 2025 on Monday, Nov. 3, at the EJS Ministerial Complex, Senior Advisor to the President, Dr. Augustine Konneh, said the administration will rebuild the sector on “integrity, data‑driven policy, and community benefit.”
“Where are these new forest areas located and what accounts for such a dramatic change?” the president asked in his statement, calling accurate data “the foundation for sound policymaking, credible forest management, and effective international engagement.” He said decades of international support and national attention have not delivered the full social, economic, and environmental dividends promised to Liberians due to institutional weaknesses, inconsistent enforcement, and illegal activities.
Boakai framed forests as a pillar of sustainable growth under his ARREST agenda, saying they must contribute “meaningfully to job creation, climate resilience, and environmental stability.” He urged participants—including cabinet members, diplomats, partners, private sector and civil society—to engage in “productive and honest” deliberations that yield tangible results.
Konneh, speaking for the President, said the era of vague figures, weak enforcement, and lost opportunities “must end.” The forum, organized by the FDA under a transparency and sustainable management theme, brought together stakeholders to align on a truth‑based approach to forest governance. “May God bless our forests, may God bless all those who protect them, and may God bless the Republic of Liberia,” Boakai concluded.
