The Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan, has called for accelerated African Development Bank (AfDB) support for key infrastructure and agricultural transformation projects, including the long-delayed Buchanan-Cestos corridor road and stronger integration with the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) initiative.
The appeal was made on Thursday during a high-level bilateral meeting between the Liberian delegation attending the AfDB Annual Meetings and Dr. Abdul B. Kamara, Acting Vice President for Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery at the Bank.
The meeting focused on strengthening Liberia's partnership with the AfDB in advancing regional integration, improving infrastructure delivery, and expanding cross-border trade within the Mano River Union sub-region.
Minister Ngafuan used the engagement to outline Liberia's strategic priorities, describing the Buchanan-Cestos corridor road--an extension of the coastal highway network--as a critical missing link in the country's transport system.
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He stressed that the project is essential for improving connectivity, reducing transport costs, and unlocking economic opportunities in southeastern Liberia.
Ngafuan also emphasized the need to better align AfDB-supported projects with Liberia's broader agricultural transformation agenda, particularly the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) project in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County.
He said linking the SAPZ initiative with surrounding infrastructure investments would create a stronger value chain for agribusiness development, youth employment, and rural industrialization.
The Minister highlighted the AfDB-backed Youth Entrepreneurship Investment Bank (YEIB) as another flagship initiative with significant potential for national impact. The program is expected to support approximately 30,000 youth-led enterprises across Liberia through financing and business development services.
Ngafuan urged that stronger coordination between YEIB and SAPZ would maximize job creation and ensure that young entrepreneurs are directly integrated into agricultural production and processing systems.
During the meeting, the Finance Minister also expressed appreciation to the AfDB for its longstanding support to Liberia's development priorities, citing several major projects funded by the Bank, including the Côte d'Ivoire-Liberia-Sierra Leone-Guinea (CLSG) Power Interconnection Project, the Zwedru-Fish Town-Harper Highway Project, and the Cavalla River Bridge linking Liberia and Côte d'Ivoire.
"These interventions have been transformative for regional integration and national development," Ngafuan noted, according to the Liberian delegation.
He further informed the AfDB that Liberia has recorded measurable improvements in its development project portfolio performance, with the disbursement rate rising from 43 percent to 51 percent. He also reported a reduction in flagged projects from 47 percent to 32 percent, attributing the progress to improved government oversight and implementation reforms.
Ngafuan additionally raised concerns about Liberia's representation at the AfDB, noting that only 11 Liberians currently work at the institution.
He described the figure as low and called for increased opportunities for qualified Liberians within the Bank's staffing structure.
For his part, Dr. Abdul B. Kamara acknowledged Liberia's concerns and reaffirmed the AfDB's commitment to supporting member countries' participation in its workforce.
He explained that while positions allocated to country constituencies are guided by representation frameworks, all other roles within the Bank are competitively recruited.
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However, he noted that the AfDB is currently reviewing staff diversity and country participation levels, with a view to encouraging greater inclusion of underrepresented member states.
He encouraged qualified Liberians to actively apply for vacancies advertised through the Bank's official recruitment platforms.
Dr. Kamara also commended Liberia for its improved project implementation performance, particularly the increase in disbursement rates and the reduction in flagged projects, describing the progress as a positive signal of strengthened institutional capacity.
The African Development Bank currently has 17 active projects in Liberia, valued at approximately US$350 million, spanning energy, transport, agriculture, and governance sectors.
As discussions continue at the AfDB Annual Meetings, Liberia is expected to push further for enhanced financing support and faster implementation of priority infrastructure projects seen as critical to economic transformation and regional integration.
