Finance and Development Planning Minister, Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan, has declared that Liberia is transitioning from a “problem child of the region” to a continental hub for major policy dialogues and infrastructure cooperation. Minister Ngafuan made the remarks on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, at the opening of the 22nd Annual General Meeting of the African Road Maintenance Funds Association (ARMFA), held at the EJS Ministerial Complex in Congo Town.
Ngafuan highlighted Liberia’s growing reputation as a trusted venue for high-level regional engagements. He noted that the ARMFA summit is among several major African and ECOWAS gatherings hosted in Monrovia this year, reflecting increased stability and leadership under President Joseph Nyuma Boakai.
Minister Ngafuan said the Boakai administration considers roads the backbone of Liberia’s economic transformation. He reminded the audience that President Boakai once declared his top three priorities as “roads, roads, and roads,” a commitment now reflected in national policy. Under the 2024–2029 National Development Plan, Liberia has allocated nearly 25% of its public investment budget to road infrastructure, one of the highest shares in the region.
According to him, the government is currently reconstructing more than 400 kilometers of major corridors connecting Monrovia to Ganta, Harper, and the Ivorian border, alongside new periodic maintenance programs funded through the National Road Fund (NRF). These efforts, he said, demonstrate Liberia’s belief that road development is essential for inclusive growth, national unity, and regional integration.
He emphasized Liberia’s cooperation with neighboring Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Côte d’Ivoire on ECOWAS corridors such as the Monrovia–Freetown–Conakry and Monrovia–Abidjan routes, vital arteries for trade and mobility across West Africa.
The Liberian Finance Minister also praised ARMFA and the European Union–funded Continental Reference Study on African Road Maintenance Funds, describing it as a major step toward modernizing road financing and governance across the continent. He further applauded the leadership of Liberia’s National Road Fund Manager, Josita Niuvelwento, whose work he said helped attract the ARMFA gathering to Monrovia.
Reaffirming the government’s commitment to sustainable road development, Minister Ngafuan said Liberia will continue working with ARMFA, ECOWAS, and development partners to build resilient, well-funded roads that promote integration and prosperity. “The Chinese say the road to development begins with the development of roads. So together, let’s build Liberian roads, African roads, and brighten the lives of our people from poverty to prosperity,” he explained.
