MONROVIA -- Liberia has convened a high-level national forum aimed at breaking persistent procurement bottlenecks and unlocking sustainable financing for road and bridge projects, as government, contractors and banks seek to rebuild trust and accelerate infrastructure delivery.
Liberia on Tuesday formally opened the Contractors-Banks-NRF Partnership Forum 2026, a three-day stakeholder conference hosted by the National Road Fund (NRF) at Monrovia City Hall, running through March 26. Held under the theme, "Building Roads, Building Trust: Unlocking Procurement Efficiency and Sustainable Infrastructure Financing," the forum brings together about 150 participants, including contractors, engineering consultants, suppliers, procurement officials, commercial banks, development finance institutions, insurers and sector experts.
Tackling Procurement and Financing Bottlenecks Providing an overview, NRF Manager Joseta Neufville-Wento said the forum is designed to address systemic inefficiencies across procurement and financing systems that continue to slow project delivery and increase costs. "The forum focuses on practical improvements across the procurement cycle (tender preparation, evaluation, contract award, variation management, certification, and payment) and across the financing cycle (bid securities, performance guarantees, working capital, equipment financing, invoice discounting, and risk-sharing mechanisms)," she said. "Through structured plenary sessions, panels, breakout groups, case clinics, and solution labs, the forum will produce an agreed stakeholder action plan, measurable recommendations, and a structured post-conference follow-up mechanism."
She noted that while road infrastructure remains a national development priority, delivery outcomes are often constrained by challenges at the intersection of procurement and financing systems. "These challenges are often amplified for small and medium firms, which may lack strong internal systems for documentation, financial reporting, and contract management," she said.
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She added, banks face a high-risk lending environment due to unpredictable cash flows, delayed payments, weak collateral and limited credit history among contractors--factors that restrict access to affordable financing.
Cycle of Mistrust Slowing Projects
Neufville-Wento warned that these challenges have created a cycle of inefficiency across the sector. "The National Road Fund and implementing agencies, while mandated to deliver quality infrastructure and ensure compliance, also face challenges such as procurement disputes, contractor underperformance, and strained relationships with suppliers and financial partners," she stated. "The need for a structured multi-stakeholder platform is therefore urgent to rebuild trust, harmonize expectations, reduce friction, and strengthen systems for procurement and financing across the sector."
She stressed that without coordinated solutions, projects will continue to face delays, cost overruns and reduced value for money.
Forum Targets Actionable Reforms
According to the NRF, the forum aims to strengthen collaboration by improving procurement efficiency and expanding access to sustainable infrastructure financing. Key objectives include building a shared understanding of procurement requirements, identifying high-impact challenges in contract execution, and establishing a post-conference coordination mechanism to track implementation of agreed reforms.
Procurement Framed as Development Imperative
Delivering the keynote, Public Procurement and Concessions Commission (PPCC) Executive Director Bodger Scott-Johnson underscored the broader national impact of procurement reform. "Infrastructure is not just about roads, bridges, and public assets," he said. "In Liberia, infrastructure is about access--access to markets for farmers in Lofa County, access to schools for children in Rivercess County, and access to healthcare for families in Grand Kru. When procurement works efficiently, development reaches people faster."
He warned that weak procurement systems result in costly and abandoned projects. "When procurement fails, infrastructure becomes expensive, delayed, or abandoned. In simple terms, bad procurement builds bad roads; good procurement builds national progress," Johnson said. Referencing the PPCC Act of 2026, he emphasized that procurement is now a strategic governance tool rather than a routine administrative process. "To achieve procurement efficiency in sustainable infrastructure and PPPs, we must act collectively," he said. "The PPCC will continue to enforce compliance, provide guidance, and modernize procurement systems."
Government Pushes for Immediate Results
Speaking on behalf of Finance and Development Planning Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan, Assistant Minister for Expenditure Dede D. Sandiman urged participants to commit to tangible reforms. "Leave with three commitments you will implement within 60 days. Not aspirations, but actions you control: revise a tender template, update a payment process, pilot a financing instrument, establish rapid dispute resolution, digitize manual documentation," Sandiman stated, adding, "Success is measured not by evaluation forms, but by measurable improvements in how quickly contractors secure financing, how efficiently bids are awarded, how predictably payments flow, and ultimately, how many more kilometers Liberia completes annually."
He added that President Joseph Nyuma Boakai's administration is prioritizing coordinated infrastructure delivery, with the Ministry of Finance committed to supporting reforms through policy adjustments and improved coordination.
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Road Safety and Public Impact Highlighted
Representing the Ministry of Transport, Chief of Staff Amos J. Borbor stressed the human cost of weak infrastructure systems, citing 1,789 rural fatalities reported by the Liberia National Police in 2016. "We think with our little population, if we can have this kind of statistics or death occurring on our roads, we need to do something," he said. "The only way we will build trust in the roads that we build is to enhance our road safety policy, enhance our road safety mechanism."
He described the forum as timely and critical to improving road safety and strengthening public confidence.
Banks Signal Willingness to Finance
Also speaking, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Liberia Managing Director and CEO Ayokunle Oljubu, representing the Liberia Bankers Association, pledged support for infrastructure financing. "We're in partnership with international development partners and I think if I can remember, we have close to about US$50 million set aside to support development of roads," he revealed.
"And so, we are willing to do that, given the right objective." Toward Faster, More Reliable Delivery. The forum is expected to conclude with a stakeholder action plan and a follow-up mechanism to translate discussions into measurable reforms--faster procurement processes, improved access to financing, and more efficient delivery of Liberia's road and bridge projects.
