During the 59th Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) adopted an ambitious Regional Integrated Human Capital Development Strategy (HCDS) aimed at becoming a top-performing regional economic community in human capital development by 2030. The Capacity Assessment (2020), leading to the HCDS 2030, placed Liberia’s Human Capital Index (HCI) at 0.32, which is below the regional average of 0.38 and 0.40 for sub-Saharan Africa.
Based on HCD performance and the competitive index, Liberia’s archetype is among states lagging in competitiveness due to limited HCD performance, along with Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Guinea-Bissau. Thus, with a grant of USD 75,000 from the ECOWAS Commission, the MFDP, through the ECOWAS National Office, will facilitate the development of a comprehensive HCDS for Liberia.
The key thematic priorities of interest to ECOWAS for support include Health and Nutrition, Education, Skills and Labor Participation, Entrepreneurship, Financial Inclusion, and Digital payments, focusing on how people come together to boost economic productivity, create wealth, and on the approaches that must be employed to accelerate this process.
In view of the above, the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning will conduct a two (2) days workshop on generating the Human Capital Development Strategies for Liberia from September 4- 6, 2025, with 50 Key Informants. This Two-Day workshop will convene sector leaders, practitioners, and analysts to review foundational HCD content, the AAID National Development Plan, and the context for Liberia. Co-create priority strategies for acceleration plans across education, health, workforce, and governance and develop concrete action plans, ownership matrices, and next-step commitments.
By focusing on these key areas, we aim to create a dynamic and thriving society where citizens feel empowered to reach their full potential. This will not only benefit the citizens but will also contribute to the overall growth and success of the society.”
The Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, through the ECOWAS National Office, is committed to regularly evaluating the effectiveness of the country’s human capital development strategy and making necessary adjustments to ensure its continued success.
The Ministry of Finance and Development Planning believes that a strong focus on human capital development is essential for effectively and efficiently navigating the regional, continental, and global Complexities in achieving the country’s long-term success of inclusive growth and development. Following this workshop, a pre-validation session of the Workshop’s findings and recommendations will be held with MFDP Senior Management. Following this, an official launch, publication, and awareness of the Strategy will take place.
