The following Briefing is a snapshot of Liberia prior to the Ebola outbreak currently gripping the country. Emerging from years of civil war as one of the poorest countries in Africa, Liberia was on a path of unprecedented change and progress. From healthcare policy to education reform, the way ahead seemed full of opportunity. The content here gives a sense of what is at risk of being lost, unless the global community responds more vigorously to the crisis - which is already not only eroding but reversing hard-won gains.
Liberia: Moving From Stabilization to Transformation
Liberia Tackles One of the World's Worst Maternal Mortality Rates
Health officials say the adminstration of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has made significant improvements in the reduction of Liberia's maternal mortality rate to ensure that the country meets the Millennium Development Goal's target date of 2015.
Sirleaf Launches New Education Plan
At a major program in Monrovia which was held under the theme: "Quality Education for All - Redirecting Our Future", President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf launched an "Operational Plan" aimed at reshaping the country's education sector more»
War Refugees Rebuilding Liberia - Gyude Moore
Video excerpt: Only 10 years ago, Liberia began to emerge from a quarter-century of instability. Many of the children who grew up on the run - including those who had a chance to build lives elsewhere - are back in Liberia, where a sense of purpose is replacing the trauma they experienced.
Convincing the World 'Liberia Is Back' - Foreign Minister Ngafuan
Video excerpt: President Sirleaf tapped Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan to join her first Cabinet in 2006 as budget director. In 2008, she named him minister of finance and in 2012 made him foreign minister. In an interview with AllAfrica, he discusses the government's foreign policy priorities.
Fighting for Liberia's Future - One Issue at a Time
Interview with President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf: In her second and final six-year term as Liberia's President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has continued a heavy schedule of international travel, despite seemingly intractable challenges at home. After attending the Africa-Arab Summit in Kuwait, Johnson Sirleaf visited Dubai, and sat down with AllAfrica's Reed Kramer and Tami Hultman to discuss her priorities and principles.
Resilience and Resolve in Liberia: a Personal Story
K. Riva Levinson
Anna Musu Sherman
On the morning of August 2, 1991, Anna Musu Sherman fled fighting and famine in Liberia's capital, but she couldn't outrun fear. Wearing a grey T-shirt and worn down flip flops, she tied 18-month-old Tetee to her back with a colorful cloth, clutched a cord she had attached to ten-year-old Sata, and set out in the rain, aiming for a refugee camp across the border in Sierra Leone 100 kilometers away. more»
Liberia Exports 50,000 Tons of Iron Ore
China Union, one of the largest investors in the country, has exported its first shipment of about 50,000 tons of iron ore. At a ceremony held at the Freeport of Monrovia, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf described the event as a "promise fulfilled".
U.S.-Liberia Partnership Dialogue Aims to Build Capacity
The head of the U.S. delegation at the second U.S.-Liberia Partnership Dialogue, Thomas A. Shannon, has stressed the need to build Liberia's human resource capacity. The partnership was launched a year ago in Washington, DC.
'Liberia Is Stronger, Safer and Steadier' - President Sirleaf
President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf says despite the challenges the country faces, it is stronger, safer, and steadier than it has been in many years as a result of the "combined efforts and resilience of all Liberians".
SPONSORED SECTION - Chevron
Doing Business in Africa
Partnering With Booker Washington Institute for Liberian Youth
As part of Chevron's commitment to promoting social progress in Liberia, it has formed partnerships focused on education, a building block for improving the quality of life in communities. The company's partnership with Booker Washington Institute (BWI) is just one example.
Partnering for Economic and Social Progress in Liberia
Liberian Art in Action
Chevron
Painting by Liberian artist Tubman Tweh.
Chevron Liberia Ltd. is exploring for energy in deep water off the coast of Liberia with international and local partners. After opening its Monrovia office in 2011, the company engaged two local artists to design murals for the interior walls. The artists, Tubman Tweh and Sam Hwisedeh, shared their unique stories along with their vibrant work in this interview: Q&A with Mr. Tweh
Chevron Brings Corporate Responsibility Commitment to Liberia
Chevron has a long history of corporate responsibility successes around the globe, and is proud to bring its commitment to corporate responsibility to Liberia. In all the countries where Chevron operates, it invests in projects that help deliver better social, environmental and economic outcomes because it recognizes that business success is deeply linked to human progress.
Lifting Women Out of Poverty in Liberia
Laydown Yard Brings Hope for the Future
ChevronIn a first for Liberia, Chevron Liberia Ltd has opened a laydown yard in the Port of Buchanan, Grand Bassa County, located about 170 miles (270 kilometers) southeast of Monrovia. Completed in mid-2013, the laydown yard will make exploratory drilling activities more efficient, reducing the time it takes to move materials such as pipes and casing to a drillship from days to hours.
Improving Medical Care for Women and Children in Liberia
News from AllAfrica and Content Partners
World Humanitarian Day - Moving Forward in Liberia
Liberia is getting back to its feet after a protracted civil war that killed over 200,000 people, displaced over a million, and largely destroyed the country's infrastructure and institutions. After a decade of peace, the European Commission's Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO) says its needs are shifting from humanitarian to developmental. more»
Liberia Hosts Fragile States Penal
Liberia hosted hundreds of guests in September to discuss issues relative to fragile states on the continent and how to "ground the root" of peace and stability. more»
Japan Breaks Ground for U.S.$25 Million Power System
The Liberian and Japanese governments have broken ground for the construction of a 10 megawatt heavy fuel oil power plant for the Liberian Electricity Corporation. The project is expected to help with the country's electricity expansion. more»
Finance Minister Identifies Key Sectors for Potential Job Creation
Minister Amara Konneh has identified the agriculture and service sectors as the key areas for potential job creation in the country. more»
Africa's Richest Man Discusses Investment in Liberia
The Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote has met with President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to brief her on the progress of his investment in the country. Reports say their discussion focused on plans for a cement plant as well as a coal-based power station. more»
Post MDG Consultation Held in Monrovia
After hosting three regional youth consultations on the Post 2015 MDGs in Zwedru, Gbarnga and Kakata, all was set for the validation of the recommendations garnered in the previous sessions. more»
World Bank Supports Road and Bridge Works
The World Bank's Board of Executive Directors has approved a total of U.S.$29 million in additional funds for the Urban and Rural Infrastructure Rehabilitation Project (URIRP) in order to continue to support road and bridge improvements in Monrovia and surrounding rural areas. more»
President Sirleaf Inducts Liberia New Army Chief
The Cammander-in-Chief of the Liberian army, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, has inducted the new chiefs of the Armed Forces of Liberia after nearly a decade under the command of a Nigerian general. more»
Liberian President Makes New Appointments
President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has made new appointments to positions in government affecting the ministries of Transport, Labor, Foreign Affairs, Commerce and Internal Affairs. more»
Malaria in Liberia -the Struggle Continues
I woke up feeling the headache and chills, and made a couple of trips to the bathroom to ease the nausea. The experience was all too familiar; I was having another bout of malaria. more»
Solar Collectors Could Light Up Rural Liberia
A project to light up rural Liberia with solar lamps is expected to benefit more than 200,000 people in four years. more»
Liberia Chairs Africa's Post-2015 Dev. Agenda
The first technical meeting to draft an agenda and plan the summit of the High-Level Committee (HLC) of Heads of State and governments on the Post-2015 Development Agenda was convened in Monrovia. more»
Women Install 314 Solar Panels in Four Towns
Eight India-trained Liberian women have installed 314 solar panels in four towns as part of a pilot project to spread the concept of solar energy in the country. more»
2,500 Jobs for Liberian Youths
As part of efforts to create more jobs for young people, the Liberia Agency for Community Empowerment (LACE) has announced plans to provide jobs for 2,500 young people in the five poorest counties of the countries. more»
Computers to Boost Poor County's Development
After being libeled very poor by the 2008 National Census report, Bomi County continues to claim local and international attention for interventions, basically through human development support, that could improve conditions in the county. more»
Liberia Breaks Grounds for Hydro Plant
President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has broken ground for the rehabilitation of the Mount Coffee hydroelectric plant that is expected to provide cheaper electricity. more»
Strange Mineral Germ Discovered in Liberia
The mineral Barite, which is used for drilling in oil and gas exploration, has been discovered in "huge quantity" in Margibi County. more»
Oil 'Protected for Next Generation' - Robert Sirleaf
Robert Sirleaf's resignation, after less than two years in the position, should not have surprised anyone, Sirleaf said. Exploration contracts have been signed and a petroleum bill has passed the Liberian Senate and is under consideration by the House of Representatives. His job as Nocal chair, he said, was finished, and he welcomed the chance to step out of the limelight. Here are excerpts from the conversation. more»
London-Based Magazine Honors Liberian Minister
The Ministry of Finance has announced that Minister Amara Konneh has been named 'Finance Minister of the Year in Africa' by a London-based magazine. more»
