Monrovia - Liberia has secured a record $88.7 million deal with the World Bank to overhaul its failing public primary education system, aiming to lift more than 350,000 students out of learning poverty through the new EXCEL Project.
Signed Wednesday at the Executive Mansion, the Excellence in Learning in Liberia (EXCEL) Project is the largest education investment in Liberia's history. The agreement includes a $60 million credit from the International Development Association (IDA) and a $28.7 million grant from the Global Partnership for Education (GPE). It marks the first major initiative under the World Bank's 2025-2030 Country Partnership Framework for Liberia.
President Joseph Nyuma Boakai described the deal as a transformative step toward rescuing the country's education sector from collapse and aligning with his ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development.
"This project represents a significant investment in our future by focusing on what matters most--educating our children and equipping our educators," President Boakai said. "We can't keep seeing disorganized classrooms without facilities and pretend our children can compete globally. We must act now."
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The EXCEL Project is set to deliver widespread reforms: construction of over 100 new primary schools, rehabilitation of many others, specialized training for more than 6,500 teachers, and leadership development for at least 4,500 school administrators. In total, 2,337 public primary schools will benefit from improved teaching materials, infrastructure, and classroom methods.
The initiative also includes evidence-based instruction techniques, violence prevention programs, education data strengthening, and a school grants scheme to empower local leadership.
World Bank Country Manager Georgia Wallen called the agreement a "historic step forward" in reversing Liberia's learning crisis. "With five years left to meet Vision 2030, time is of the essence," she said. "Liberia's children deserve more and better--and EXCEL is a downpayment on that transformation."
Wallen emphasized the project's scale, ambition, and urgency. "This is the largest World Bank investment in Liberia's education sector to date. It directly targets root causes--poor infrastructure, undertrained teachers, and weak student performance--and it covers all 15 counties."
Liberia currently ranks 171st out of 174 countries in the World Bank's Human Capital Index. Its children record the world's lowest level of learning-adjusted years of schooling, making foundational learning reform not just critical but urgent.
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Finance and Development Planning Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan, who signed the agreement on Liberia's behalf, hailed it as the "ultimate Independence gift" for the nation's children.
"President Boakai has spent the past week launching youth-focused programs, but this, by far, is one of the biggest 26 gifts," Ngafuan said. "Projects can be signed. Plans can be made. But what matters most is delivery, and this President is focused on results."
Education Minister Dr. Jarso Jallah added that EXCEL holds "great promise" for shaping a more equitable and effective education system. "It's not just about access, it's about transforming how children learn," she said.
The signing comes days after the government commissioned two model senior secondary schools in Gbarnga and Ganta, signaling a broader push to fix Liberia's education pipeline from the ground up.
Wallen affirmed the World Bank's commitment to supporting implementation. "EXCEL is a cornerstone of our new Country Partnership Framework, which aims to build foundations for better jobs and economic inclusion," she said. "We are proud to stand with Liberia on this historic journey."
