The Ministry of Local Government officially launched the National Decentralization Support Unit (NDSU) on Monday, January 19, marking a major milestone in Liberia's efforts to strengthen local governance and implement nationwide decentralization reforms.
Speaking at the event, Minister of Local Government, Francis Sakila Nyumalin, Sr., described the NDSU as a "central technical and coordination hub" designed to ensure that decentralization initiatives across government are coherent, aligned, and effective.
"Today marks a significant milestone in Liberia's decentralization journey with the official launch of the National Decentralization Support Unit," Minister Nyumalin said. "This Unit is established to coordinate and support the implementation of decentralization reforms nationwide, in close collaboration with all sector Ministries, Agencies, and Commissions (MACs) represented on the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Decentralization (IMCD) and the Program Management Board (PMB)."
According to Minister Nyumalin, the launch reflects a broader understanding that decentralization is "neither a stand-alone reform nor the responsibility of a single institution. Rather, it is a whole-of-government transformation agenda that demands coordination, coherence, and sustained collaboration across all sectors of government."
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The Minister noted that the 2018 Local Government Act provides the legal framework for political, administrative, and fiscal decentralization in Liberia, and that significant progress has already been made to establish local governance structures and transfer responsibilities closer to the people.
However, he emphasized that "effective decentralization requires more than laws and institutions--it requires a strong coordination mechanism to ensure that sector reforms are aligned, well sequenced, and mutually reinforcing. This is the critical gap the National Decentralization Support Unit is designed to fill."
Under the oversight of the IMCD and the PMB, the NDSU will coordinate decentralization policies, programs, and initiatives across government, provide technical support to sector MACs and sub-national institutions, monitor and report on the progress of decentralization implementation, support capacity development at both national and local levels, and promote alignment of sector policies with the Local Government Act of 2018.
Minister Nyumalin stressed that participation by all sector MACs is essential. "Every MAC represented on the IMCD and PMB is a co-owner of Liberia's decentralization agenda," he said. "Decentralization will only succeed if sector ministries integrate it into their planning, budgeting, and service delivery systems, and if counties and local authorities are fully empowered to carry out their devolved responsibilities."
The Minister also highlighted the critical role of financial resources in successful decentralization. He called on President Joseph Nyuma Boakai to appoint the Local Government Fiscal Board, which is mandated to provide a controlled pathway for county fiscal autonomy, strengthen integrity and accountability, and protect national fiscal stability. "This Board represents the financial backbone of Liberia's decentralization drive and is therefore non-negotiable for safe, sustainable, and credible decentralization," Nyumalin said.
The establishment of the NDSU, he explained, signals a shift "from fragmented efforts to coordinated action, from parallel initiatives to shared accountability, and from policy intent to measurable results."
As he formally launched the Unit, Minister Nyumalin reaffirmed the government's commitment to strengthening local governance, improving service delivery, and ensuring that decentralization delivers tangible benefits to Liberians. "Let us move forward together, guided by collaboration, accountability, and a shared vision for a decentralized, inclusive, and resilient Liberia," he said.
For his part, the United Nations Development Programme, Eric Ballah, lauded the Government's timely launch of the initiative, describing it as a critical step in strengthening local governance and bringing public services nearer to the people.
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He said UNDP is working in support of the Ministry of Local Government to develop a digital registration system for marriages and divorces, which will also help to serve as a repository for all vital statistics that will be useful for efficient decentralization with data.
Ballah reiterated that the UNDP was committed to continuing to support Liberia's decentralization reforms with national institutions.
By the end of the program, over 20 computers were distributed to participating ministries and agencies to further enhance the coordination that will ensure the Units for Decentralization Support run smoothly as the country moves from fragmented efforts toward coordinated action in local governance reform.
With the launch of the NDSU, Liberia takes a decisive step toward operationalizing its decentralization reforms, strengthening local institutions, and empowering counties to play a more active role in national development.
