The Director General of the Liberia Institute of Statistics and Geo-Information Services (LISGIS), Richard F. Ngafuan, has unveiled Nimba County as Liberia's newest breadbasket. The announcement follows a comprehensive analysis of the Liberia Agriculture Census, one of LISGIS's most significant achievements in 2024.
Speaking on Thursday, December 12, 2024, Mr. Ngafuan emphasized the value of the census in providing crucial insights into Liberia's agricultural sector. "This census has been instrumental in painting a detailed picture of the agricultural landscape in Liberia," he stated. According to the findings, Liberia is home to 338,630 agricultural households. Among these, Nimba County leads with 21.4%, followed by Bong County with 16.7%, and Lofa County--previously dubbed Liberia's breadbasket--at 12.7%.
The census revealed the predominance of crop cultivation, practiced by nearly 99% of agricultural households. "Rice and cassava remain the most cultivated crops, grown by 56.3% and 45.9% of households, respectively," Ngafuan disclosed. He highlighted critical challenges as well, such as the limited adoption of irrigation technologies, with only 2.3% of agricultural holdings utilizing irrigation systems.
"This reliance on rain-fed farming underscores an urgent need for investment in irrigation infrastructure," he explained. The census also shed light on disparities in education among household heads, with 64.5% of female heads having no formal education compared to 38.3% of male heads. "This data highlights the need for targeted interventions to ensure inclusivity and enhance productivity in agriculture," he added.
The census documented significant livestock and poultry farming activities, with over 444,000 chickens and 67,000 goats raised by households across the country. However, reliance on traditional farming tools like cutlasses (used by 94.1% of households) and hand hoes (87.2%) further emphasizes the necessity for modernization and mechanization.
"These findings underscore the need for a transformative approach to agriculture, aimed at increasing productivity and ensuring sustainability," Ngafuan remarked. He noted that the data would inform strategic policies to boost food security, support smallholder farmers, and advance agricultural development nationwide.
Reflecting on 2024, Ngafuan celebrated several achievements beyond the agricultural census. "This year has been marked by significant accomplishments in capacity building, agriculture statistics, inflation monitoring, and trade analysis," he said. Among the highlights, he mentioned his election as Chairman of the Statistical Commission for Africa as a historic milestone.
Ngafuan underscored capacity building as a cornerstone of LISGIS's growth in 2024. "We made substantial investments in building the technical capacity of our workforce to meet the growing demands for reliable statistics and geo-information," he explained. As part of these efforts, LISGIS sponsored 24 staff members to pursue Master's degrees in fields critical to national development, including Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Development Economics, Biostatistics, Data Science, and Epidemiology. These programs, held at prestigious institutions such as the University of Malawi and the University of Rome Tor Vergata, ranged from 12 to 24 months.
In addition to long-term academic programs, LISGIS facilitated short-term training initiatives for 30 staff members in areas such as GIS, financial management, and communication. "These training programs, conducted regionally and internationally, ranged from workshops lasting a few days to specialized courses spanning several months," he detailed.
The dual approach to capacity building--combining immediate skill enhancement with long-term academic development--has already begun to yield results. "Our workforce is now equipped to leverage modern methodologies and technologies in data collection, analysis, and dissemination," Ngafuan said. He reiterated that these efforts are part of a broader strategy to build a resilient institution capable of supporting Liberia's development agenda.
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Ngafuan also pledged to rebrand LISGIS and enhance its public engagement. "We aim to make LISGIS more visible by actively engaging with the media to inform the public about our activities and contributions to national development," he promised. This rebranding effort aligns with his vision to position LISGIS as a leading statistical agency, driving evidence-based policymaking and sustainable development in Liberia.
The comprehensive agricultural census and capacity-building initiatives underscore LISGIS's commitment to addressing Liberia's developmental challenges. "By investing in our workforce and utilizing cutting-edge data, we are laying the foundation for informed policies that will transform agriculture and other critical sectors," Ngafuan concluded.
The findings and initiatives highlighted in LISGIS's 2024 report provide a roadmap for enhancing food security, improving agricultural productivity, and driving sustainable development across Liberia.
