President Joseph N. Boakai has warned that Liberia’s quest for prosperity will remain out of reach unless the country confronts what he described as a deepening infrastructure crisis of failing roads, unreliable electricity, and decaying public facilities. Speaking Monday, January 19, 2026, at the official opening of the National Infrastructure Conference in Gompa City, Nimba County, President Boakai noted that Liberia’s poor infrastructure is both a lingering consequence of years of civil conflict and a long-standing development failure that continues to burden citizens and stifle economic growth.
“Our roads have deteriorated, electricity has been unreliable, public buildings have decayed, and access to safe water and sanitation remains far from universal. These conditions have constrained our growth and undermined the dignity of our people,” he said. President Boakai stated that the country must move beyond superficial fixes and political rhetoric, calling for a deliberate effort to “build back and build better.”
He said future infrastructure must be resilient, competitive, climate-smart, and inclusive if it is to support long-term national development. “Infrastructure is not just concrete and steel,” he said. President Boakai: “It has a human face. It is about people, dignity, opportunity, and national confidence.”
Reflecting on Liberia’s post-war experience, Boakai described infrastructure rebuilding as an essential part of national healing, noting that conflict destroyed assets that once symbolized pride and stability. He said the current moment offers an opportunity to restart with smarter planning, stronger institutions, and a long-term development vision.
Linking the conference to his administration’s ARREST Agenda, President Boakai said infrastructure development must also align with Africa’s Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals. The Liberian leader cautioned against fragmented and short-term projects, urging coordinated systems anchored in innovation, accountability, and sustainability.
The opening ceremony was attended by senior Liberian officials, development partners, and regional stakeholders, including Ghana’s Minister of Works, Hon. Kenneth Adjei, underscoring growing regional and international interest in Liberia’s infrastructure reform drive. The National Infrastructure Conference is expected to yield policy recommendations and strategic frameworks aimed at reversing decades of infrastructural decline and laying a solid foundation for sustainable national development.
The Conference, nearly two years in the making, has drawn together government officials, lawmakers, development partners, academics, private sector actors, and international experts to address what the President called the “unsightly and unacceptable” condition of Liberia’s national infrastructure and to forge a new path toward recovery.
