AfDB Executive Director Concludes Visit to Liberia, Highlights Key Development Areas

Darkortey emphasized that the Bank’s current portfolio in Liberia is heavily invested in critical sectors, with 56% allocated to transport, 28% to energy, and 8% to agriculture.

Rufus N. Darkortey, the African Development Bank (AfDB) Executive Director representing Liberia, The Gambia, Ghana, Sudan, and Sierra Leone, has completed a significant five-day visit to Liberia. From July 8 to 12, Darkortey engaged in high-level discussions with key stakeholders, including President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Vice President Jeremiah Kpan Koung, Speaker of Parliament Jonathan Fonati Koffa, and various ministers and agency heads.

This visit marked Darkortey's first official engagement with Liberia since President Boakai's election. The mission focused on aligning AfDB's support with Liberia's development priorities, aiming to foster sustainable and inclusive growth. President Boakai praised the Bank's significant contributions under the leadership of Dr. Akinwumi Adesina and committed to implementing necessary reforms to advance Liberia's development. Key areas of discussion included infrastructure development, support for SME-led private sector growth, enhancing domestic resource mobilization, and boosting agricultural productivity.

Darkortey emphasized that the Bank's current portfolio in Liberia is heavily invested in critical sectors, with 56% allocated to transport, 28% to energy, and 8% to agriculture. Noteworthy projects include the Fish Town-Harper highway and a high-voltage transmission line that will connect Liberia with Cote d'Ivoire, Sierra Leone, and Guinea.

The Executive Director reiterated the Bank's commitment to supporting Liberia's development under President Boakai's leadership. Discussions also covered the Bank's Youth Entrepreneurship Investment Bank initiative, which in 2023 approved approximately $16 million to support over 30,000 youth-led micro, small, and medium enterprises in Liberia's agribusiness and related sectors.

At the 2024 AfDB Annual Meetings in Nairobi, Kenya, Dr. Adesina announced plans to mobilize $3.5 billion to $5 billion for the Liberty corridor project. This initiative involves constructing a world-class rail system connecting Liberia's Didia port to Guinea, aligning with President Boakai's ARREST Agenda—a national development plan focused on agriculture, roads, rule of law, education, sanitation, and tourism to promote inclusive development.

The AfDB has long supported Liberia and the Mano River Union region, aiming to enhance agricultural potential, create job opportunities for youth, and address regional fragility.