Monrovia — In a decisive move toward modernizing the city's sanitation infrastructure, the Monrovia City Corporation (MCC) and its international partners on Wednesday, March 18 officially inaugurated a state-of-the-art composting facility in the Fiamah Community in Sinkor, Monrovia.
The facility, which focuses on transforming waste crisis to sustainable solutions with keen interest on organic waste recycling, is part of a broader strategic vision by Mayor John-Charuk Siafa to transform Monrovia's waste management challenges into economic opportunities while mitigating public health risks.
The project is a collaborative effort involving the MCC, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation (LWSC), with critical technical and financial support from the Canadian government through the MRV for Climate Action Project in Liberia.
Madam Vermon Sangah Lloyd, the pilot lead, Solid Waste Transformative, giving the core objective of the Fiamah facility, said they are committed to converting organic waste into high-quality compost to support local agricultural productivity.
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Also speaking at the commissioning ceremony, Mayor Siafa emphasized that the plant is a crucial addition to the city's existing waste infrastructure.
"The facility is proof that at the MCC, we are not just talking, but delivering as we strive to declare a war on waste because it's a public health issue and a shared responsibility," Mayor Siafa told the gathering.
He noted that the initiative aligns with the ARREST Agenda of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, specifically Pillar 5, which focuses on environmental sustainability.
"Two years ago, the Government of Liberia made a deliberate decision that sanitation must become a national priority. We are not just cleaning streets--we are protecting public health, restoring dignity, and securing the environmental future of Liberia," the Mayor added.
Mayor Siafa further outlined the facility's expected benefits, including the production of organic fertilizer for local farmers, reduction pressure on overflowing landfills and transfer stations, lower operational costs for municipal waste disposal, climate action through the reduction of methane emissions, and the creation of "green" jobs and new micro-enterprises.
For his part, Chris Godlove, International Pilot Lead of the Solid Waste Management Transformative Project, described the inauguration as a milestone in advancing new approaches to waste.
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He lauded the Mayor's leadership and the cooperation of development partners in bringing the pilot to fruition.
Adding his voice to the occasion, the Executive Director of the EPA, Dr. Emmanuel Yarkpawolo, assured the public that additional transformational initiatives are in the pipeline to ensure that a larger percentage of municipal waste is recycled rather than discarded.
The event also saw a significant policy commitment from the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP).
Assistant Minister for Development Planning, Wellington Barchu, vowed to champion the inclusion of dedicated funding for solid waste management in the 2027 national budget.
"Program 36 in the ARREST Agenda is solid waste management. We must think outside the box to support the President's vision," Minister Barchu stated, while urging citizens to embrace the long-term benefits of such infrastructure over short-term skepticism.
The project's success was also attributed to the cooperation of the LWSC, which provided the land for the facility. LWSC Deputy Managing Director for Administration, T. Wilson Gaye, expressed delight in the partnership.
"A few months ago, when we received a request for this space, we didn't waste time because we know the importance of this project," Mr. Gaye said, reaffirming the LWSC's commitment to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) governing the site.
Representatives from Community Based Enterprises (CBEs) and the Liberia Marketing Association (LMA) also attended the ceremony, welcoming the facility as a "source of opportunity" and a solution to long-standing waste disposal bottlenecks in the capital.
