MONROVIA — Liberian engineer and infrastructure specialist John Kpehe Boimah is urging the Liberian Senate to reject a proposed US$365 million road financing agreement with Pavi Fort - Al Associates (SL) Ltd., warning that the deal, as structured, could undermine national economic interests, restrict the involvement of Liberian engineering professionals, and weaken long-term capacity development.
The agreement, which is currently before the Legislature for review, would grant the Sierra Leonean company responsibility for financing and constructing road corridors under a private financing arrangement. Boimah argues that the proposal lacks verifiable assurances regarding the company's financial and technical capabilities to manage a project of this magnitude independently.
"This issue is not about nationality; it is about capacity and performance track record," Boimah said. "There is no evidence that Pavi Fort - Al Associates (SL) Ltd. has the ability to execute this scale of work without exposing Liberia to financial and structural risk. Proceeding under such uncertainty is an unacceptable gamble."
Boimah's broader concern is that Liberia risks reinforcing a development model in which major infrastructure projects are awarded to foreign interests without meaningful participation of Liberian engineers and firms. He said such a model weakens local sector growth and limits opportunities for domestic job creation, professional advancement, and entrepreneurial development.
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According to him, when foreign companies dominate national infrastructure projects, Liberian firms are effectively sidelined, unable to secure contracts, influence project direction, or build long-term capacity. This dynamic keeps Liberia dependent on external expertise and prevents the domestic engineering sector from maturing into a competitive and sustainable industry.
"When Liberian engineers are consistently excluded from engineering leadership roles on Liberian soil, we lose the opportunity to train, mentor, and empower our workforce," he noted. "A country cannot achieve sustainable development by outsourcing the very skills necessary to build it.
Boimah emphasized that major infrastructure projects must function not only as construction efforts but also as training grounds for knowledge transfer. In his view, the current concession does not contain clear or enforceable obligations for apprenticeship programs, technical mentorship, or structured capacity-building for Liberian engineers.
"Road development is not solely about paving. It is about building institutions, building know-how, and preparing the next generation of engineers," he said. "Without a formal framework requiring the prime contractor to train Liberian engineers and subcontract work locally, Liberia will continue to depend on foreign technical expertise indefinitely."
He expressed concern that, under the current structure, leadership and technical positions would likely go to expatriates, leaving Liberian engineers in secondary roles that do not provide real advancement or decision-making authority.
Boimah also highlighted the economic consequences of concession models that lack strong local-content policies. He argued that when project profits, salaries, procurement responsibilities, and operational leadership are largely externalized, the financial benefits flow out of the country. This, he said, contributes to persistent unemployment, weakens the middle class, and encourages professional migration, as Liberians seek opportunities where their expertise is valued.
He described such arrangements as undermining national sovereignty, cautioning that no country can maintain long-term self-sufficiency if it relies on foreign entities to design, supervise, and execute its critical public infrastructure. He warned that Liberia must not trap itself in a cycle of dependency that limits its ability to chart its own development future.
"A country that cannot build its own roads is a country whose development direction is being shaped by others," Boimah said. "We must reverse this pattern."
Boimah is calling on the Senate to reject the concession in its current form and to mandate the Ministry of Public Works to initiate a transparent international competitive bidding process. Under his proposed approach, Liberia would invite qualified firms -- local and international -- to compete, with evaluation criteria that include:
- demonstrated financial capacity,
- proven large-project experience, and
- firm commitments to local participation and capacity transfer.
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He stressed that competitive bidding, rather than direct concession awards, ensures value for money, technical accountability, and fair economic participation.
Boimah pointed to Liberian firms and professionals, including those with international experience, who are capable of managing or partnering on major infrastructure projects if given the opportunity. His own firm, Boimah Engineering Incorporated, specializes in highway design, geotechnical investigation, and construction oversight, operating in accordance with internationally recognized standards.
"This is evidence that Liberia does not lack competence," he said. "What Liberia lacks is a policy framework that prioritizes the development of its own human capital."
Boimah framed the decision as one that will define Liberia's development identity in the decades to come.
"The Legislature must ensure that development empowers Liberians," he said. "Rejecting this concession is not a rejection of road construction -- it is a commitment to building Liberia's capacity to develop itself. Let us build these roads, but let us also build Liberian engineers, institutions, and opportunity."
