RIA, Margibi County, Liberia – Finance and Development Planning Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan says Liberia’s renewed credibility and aggressive infrastructure push are yielding tangible results, as the country secures major financing commitments for roads, electricity, sports, and regional integration.
Speaking in an interview on the sidelines of the ongoing Joint ECOWAS, WAMA, WAMI, and WAIFEM Statutory Meetings at the Farmington Hotel near the Roberts International Airport (RIA), Minister Ngafuan declared that “Liberia is back” as a serious player in regional diplomacy and development financing.
The Minister’s remarks followed a high-level wrap-up meeting with a delegation from the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD), which has expressed strong interest in supporting priority infrastructure projects across Liberia.
Saudi Fund Backs Major Road and Power Expansion
Ngafuan disclosed that the Saudi Fund—part of a consortium of Arab lenders that financed the Gbarnga–Salayea Highway—is prepared to extend financing for additional stretches of the corridor.
Construction on the Gbarnga–Salayea segment is nearing completion, with dedication expected in April when the head of the Saudi Fund is slated to visit Liberia. The next phase will extend the road from Salayea to Konia, while separate arrangements are being finalized to cover Konia to Voinjama and onward to Mendikorma.
“We have mobilized all financing arrangements for the full stretch of the road that will move now from Salayea to Mendikorma,” Ngafuan said, emphasizing that delays, if any, will not be due to lack of funding.
Beyond roads, the Saudis are also committing approximately US$49.6 million toward transmission lines to extend electricity from Botota in Bong County to Zorzor in Lofa County, including substations in Botota, Gbarnga, and Zorzor. Additional financing is being pursued to extend power further toward Mendikorma.
In the sports sector, Liberia stands to benefit from about US$30 million in concessional financing under a broader Saudi-supported sports development initiative. The government is now considering whether to upgrade the SKD Sports Complex or invest in new facilities across the counties.
“These are all efforts… we are sweating the plan,” Ngafuan said, referring to the government’s development blueprint.
ECOWAS Youth and Sports Center Relocates to Liberia
On the regional front, Ngafuan also confirmed progress toward relocating the ECOWAS Youth and Sports Center to Liberia following its removal from Burkina Faso as that West African nation withdrew from ECOWAS.
A facility in Congo Town has been identified to host the Center, along with ECOWAS Radio and the Office of the ECOWAS Resident Representative, effectively creating an ECOWAS complex in Liberia. Operations are expected to begin by mid-March.
The relocation is anticipated to generate foreign exchange inflows and enhance Liberia’s regional stature.
“We are hosting more and more meetings of regional bodies… the movers and shakers in West Africa are converging in Liberia. That’s good for us,” Ngafuan noted.
Boosting Regional Trade and Private Sector Growth
In a separate meeting with the ECOWAS Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture, the Minister discussed support for private sector development and deeper regional trade integration.
Liberia is also expected to assume the ECOWAS Commissioner portfolio for Economic Affairs and Agriculture later this year, further elevating its regional leadership profile.
Ngafuan stressed that the government’s development agenda is anchored in measurable targets: reducing multidimensional poverty, expanding electricity access from roughly 33 percent toward 75 percent by 2029, and increasing domestic revenue mobilization.
“In this year’s budget, external support is just 6 percent—one of the lowest ever in Liberia’s history,” he said, underscoring efforts to reduce dependence on aid.
“Development Is the Way to Unite Liberia”
For Ngafuan, the flurry of engagements reflects more than diplomacy—it signals a national strategy centered on infrastructure as a unifying force.
“To unite this country, we must develop this country,” he said. Roads, electricity, and public investments, he argued, benefit all Liberians regardless of political affiliation.
With Arab financing, ECOWAS institutional presence, and expanding regional partnerships converging at once, the Minister concluded that Liberia’s momentum is no accident.
“Running is not sufficient for us. We must sprint,” he declared.
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