Raises Concern About Deteriorating Infrastructure
Gompa City, Nimba County – Liberia’s pursuit of prosperity will remain unattainable, according to President Joseph N. Boakai, until the nation addresses what he called a growing infrastructure problem characterized by deteriorating public buildings, crumbling roads, and erratic energy.
Speaking on Monday, January 19, 2026, at the National Infrastructure Conference’s official opening in Gompa City, Nimba County, President Boakai stated that Liberia’s inadequate infrastructure is a long-standing development failure that continues to burden citizens and impede economic growth, as well as a lingering effect of years of civil conflict.
“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 added.
President Boakai called for a conscious effort to “build back and build better,” emphasizing that the nation must go beyond band-aid solutions and political hyperbole. According to him, if future infrastructure is to promote long-term national growth, it must be inclusive, resilient, competitive, and climate-smart. He stated, “Infrastructure is more than just steel and concrete.”
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.
According to him, there is a chance to start again now with better planning, more robust 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. Also, the Liberian leader cautioned against fragmented and short-term projects, urging instead 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.
President Boakai echoed former U.S. President John F. Kennedy, emphasizing that prosperity is built on strong infrastructure. “We will be wealthy and prosperous when our infrastructure is good,” the President said, as he officially declared the Conference open.
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.
