In a landmark effort to decentralize public services, President Joseph Nyuma Boakai on Monday launched Liberia's first regional passport centers in Gbarnga and Zwedru, vowing to make government services more accessible to citizens outside the capital.
The move marks the start of the National Passport Decentralization Program, led by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and is one of the most concrete deliverables under the Boakai administration's ARREST Agenda. The initiative was launched just days ahead of Liberia's 178th Independence Day celebration, symbolizing what officials called a "new chapter in equitable service delivery."
"For too long, basic services like passport issuance have been concentrated in Monrovia, denying thousands their constitutional rights," President Boakai said at the launch ceremony in Gbarnga. "This is not just about convenience--it's about justice, fairness, and inclusion."
Services Move Beyond Monrovia
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Until now, all passport-related services--including interviews, payments, and data processing--were conducted solely in Monrovia, often requiring citizens from rural counties to travel long distances at high personal and financial cost.
President Boakai said the new centers are designed to correct that imbalance and will especially benefit residents of Bong, Grand Gedeh, and surrounding counties.
"We want to see the dividends of our 178 years reflected in the lives of ordinary people," he said. "True decentralization must be both functional and tangible."
While the Gbarnga center will not print passports on-site, it will process applications and forward them to Monrovia for issuance. Officials say this step alone will cut costs and wait times significantly.
Zwedru Center Features Biometric Technology
Simultaneously in Zwedru, Grand Gedeh County, Foreign Minister Sara Beysolow Nyanti commissioned a second passport hub equipped with biometric technology and secure links to the ministry's central database in Monrovia.
"This is more than a building--it is a promise delivered," Minister Nyanti told a jubilant crowd. "No longer will citizens of Grand Gedeh need to travel to Monrovia to access their right to identity and movement."
Nyanti said more regional hubs will follow, and pledged that "no Liberian will be left behind because of geography."
A Strategic Shift in Public Service
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The Gbarnga passport office is housed in the Superintendent's Compound, a decision that sparked some local concerns over access and oversight. In response, President Boakai urged residents to take ownership of the center's performance.
"Hold the public servants assigned here accountable," he said. "Do not wait for government to intervene--be watchdogs in your own communities."
Regional Voices Welcome the Move
Local chiefs, youth leaders, and civil society groups in both Bong and Grand Gedeh counties welcomed the decentralization push, calling it overdue. Many said the centers will reduce hardship and enhance participation in national life.
"This brings the government closer to us," one Gbarnga resident said. "Before, it took us days and hundreds of dollars to get a passport. Now, we can apply right here."
