Monrovia, Liberia – Liberia’s Finance and Development Planning Minister, Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan, has revealed that the US$8.38 billion ARREST Agenda for Development Agenda (AAID) will be utilized as a tool to prioritize the well-being of all Liberians.
Speaking on Wednesday, January 15, 2025, at the AAID launch in Grand Bassa County, Minister Ngafuan encouraged Liberians to fight relentlessly to eliminate development impediments and unlock Liberia’s full potential to provide hope and opportunities.
Liberia’s Finance and Development Planning Minister, Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan
According to him the AAID is more than just a paper; it is also a call to action. “It pushes us to reconsider our ways, welcome innovation, and emphasize the well-being of all Liberians. It stresses local ownership, cause-and-effect analysis, and digital transformation as important drivers of change; nonetheless, the path ahead will require unflinching partnership.”
The commercial sector, civic society, development partners, and Liberians both domestically and internationally must all contribute, he said, even though the government would exercise leadership.
“As we begin the AAID, let us once again pledge our shared dedication to this goal. To break down the obstacles to progress and realize our country’s greatest potential, let’s put in endless effort. We will work together to create a Liberia that provides opportunity, hope, and dignity to all of its citizens,” the Minister declared.
According to Minister Ngafuan, the Arrest Agenda for Inclusive Development (AAID) is Liberia’s fourth post-conflict National Development Plan (2025–2029). It also includes 15 County Development Agendas (CDAs) for the country’s 15 political subdivisions, each of which requires an estimated US$8.38 billion to implement successfully.
He explained that at least 30% of the 8.38 billion will be provided by the Liberian government, with the other 70% possibly coming from private companies, development partners, and other sources.
According to Liberia’s Finance Minister, the AAID and the CDAs are based on the country’s National Vision 2030 and are in line with regional, continental, and international frameworks like Agenda 2063 of the African Union and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The Finance Minister stated that the AAID seeks to accomplish remarkable socio-economic advancement, acknowledging the difficulties Liberia encountered and the necessity of resolving them. In addition, the Plan aims to boost GDP by 37%, which would raise the economy’s value from US$4.75 billion to US$6.5 billion.
According to Minister Ngafuan, the expansion would also result in a 23.6 percent rise in per capital GDP, from about US$850 to US$1,050, as well as the creation of new employment and the formalization of current ones.
Regarding human capital, the Plan seeks to lower the multidimensional poverty rate from 45 percent to 36 percent, increase life expectancy from 60 to 65 years, and lower the maternal death rate from 742 to 440 per 100,000.
It is anticipated that these and other socioeconomic accomplishments would raise Liberia’s standing on the SDG index by seven spots, from 152 out of 166 to 145 out of 166. Such advancements will be crucial to Liberia’s progress toward improving the lives of its population and reaching lower-middle-income status by 2029, Ngafuan continued.
The AAID is a collective commitment to Liberia’s future, according to Madam Christine N. Umutoni, the UN Resident Coordinator in Liberia.
She noted that it represents the ambitions of a country that is committed to rising, conquering obstacles, and creating a society in which no one is left behind, and that accomplishing these objectives calls for the cooperation of the government, development partners, and the business sector, academia, civil society, and citizens to collaborate with a same goal.
Madam Christine N. Umutoni, UN Resident Coordinator in Liberia.
According to Madam Umutoni, the AAID lays out a clear and creative road map for a Liberia where all people have the chance to prosper, where disparities are resolved, and where the nation’s hard-won peace and democratic government are upheld and reinforced.
“It is more than a policy document; it is a bold blueprint for transformation, built on the principles of transparency, accountability, and sustainability,” she stated.
