A renowned Liberian economist, Mr. J. Tiah Nagbe has emerged as one of the prominent candidates on the list of potential Minister of Finance & Development Planning (MFDP). Highly placed sources in the Executive branch have confirmed the name of Mr. Nagbe, former Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs and former Director General of the National Identification Registry (NIR), as one of the key names being considered for the post of Minister of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP) to replace Boima Kamara, who resigned from the position after barely six months in office.
Before the emergence of Mr. Nagbe’s name, there have been speculations that Africa Development Bank’s Country Director to Uganda, Mr. Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan, was also being considered for the position of Minister of Finance in what would be a return to the post he held in the administration of former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
This breaking news of Mr. J. Tiah Nagbe, a prominent son of the southeastern region, being on the list of possible picks for the crucial MFDP job, is being seen by many as not only a sound economic and administrative move, but also one that could be in the spirit of striking regional balance or consideration, even though Mr. Nagbe possesses all of the necessary qualifications and competence for the job.
After earning a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Liberia in 1994, J. Tiah Nagbe went on to receive a Master of Science degree in Finance from the Northeastern University, (USA), and then the Chartered Financial Consultant designation from the American College of Financial Services (USA) in 2010.
He served as Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs 2012-2015, where he led efforts to develop a five-year plan for Liberia’s decentralization program and mobilized over US$30 million for the implementation of said program. Mr. Nagbe is also the immediate passed Executive Director of the National Identification Registry (NIR), where he led an effective system of ensuring citizen identification record and other vital statistical programs for the country.
The National Identification Registry is an autonomous agency within the Executive Branch of the Government of Liberia, created by an Act of the Legislature in 2011 because the framers were, among other things, “mindful that double dipping, illegal migration and other frauds resulting from impersonation and identity theft continue to undermine the efforts of Government to strengthen public and private institutions, provide essential services, and promote rule of law and progress.”
The NIR has a mandate to “design, produce, and issue biometric cards, each with a unique identifying number to be called a Social Security Number, to be the primary government approved identity number (for registration of birth, death, passports, immigrant documents, bank accounts, Driver’s License, social security benefits, and other identification documents) supported by adequate and appropriate security features to address the challenge of possible fraudulent duplication.”
In 2017, the NIR entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP) and the Civil Service Agency (CSA) for the biometric enrollment of employees of the Government of Liberia. The primary objective of this partnership was to use the unique identification attributes of the Registry to remove ‘ghost’ names from the GoL payroll. It was estimated that at least five percent of the payroll budget was lost to ‘ghost’ payments.
To meet the challenge of enrolling all citizens and residents into the National Biometric Identification System (NBIS), NIR operates 23 Enrollment Centers across the country, including locations in the capital city of each county.
Meanwhile, Maryland County District #3 Representative, Austin Blidi Taylor, has given his unflinching backing to the possible nomination of Mr. Tiah Nagbe as the next Minister of Finance & Development Planning.
Representative Taylor described Mr. Nagbe as a highly qualified economist and financial expert with extensive experience, and one who possesses the integrity and commitment necessary to effectively fulfill the responsibilities of the critical role of a finance minister, and to further advance the objective of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s ARREST Agenda.
Rep. Taylor added that appointing Mr. Nagbe who is not only a competent and trusted professional, but one who hails from Maryland County, southeastern Liberia, would adequately place a regional balance in the cabinet of President Boakai, in line with the President’s campaign pledge of running a balanced and inclusive government.
The lawmaker expressed confidence that when nominated and appointed as Minister of Finance & Development Planning, Mr. Nagbe will perform his duties with utmost professionalism and dedication aligning with the best interest of the Liberian people and justifying the confidence of the President, as his task-oriented approach and expertise in financial matters uniquely position him to contribute positively to the President’s development agenda.
One senior executive source remarked: “I have known Mr. J. Tiah Nagbe for a good number of years. He’s a well processed professional who keeps his eyes on the ball. I mean, the guy is professional, ethical, and result-oriented. Let’s see how it plays out. The President has the appointment power, but if you ask me, it’s Tiah for me.”
