Monrovia, Liberia – President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, the head of the National Steering Committee has approved the 15 County Development Agendas (CDAs) and the ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development (AAID). This approval of the AAID and CDAs (2025–2029) plans is a significant step in determining the course of Liberia’s national development.
In order to create the AAID and CDAs, President Boakai began the consultation process on July 18, 2024. Diverse group of stakeholders, including representatives from the business community, civil society organizations, local government officials, women, youth, elders, religious leaders, and the County Legislative Caucuses, participated in the District and County consultations that were organized by the Ministries of Finance and Development Planning and Internal Affairs throughout the 15 counties.
The six main areas of the ARREST Agenda are: Human Capital (fortifying the education system and empowering youth), Sanitation (for access to clean water and improved health), Tourism (promoting Liberia’s natural beauty and cultural heritage), Rule of Law and Governance (for better connectivity), Agribusiness Value Chain (for food security and job creation), and Roads (infrastructure).
During the Tuesday event held at the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Ministerial Complex, President Boakai outlined his plan to use inclusive and daring approaches to address Liberia’s problems so that no one is left behind.
“The ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development is a plan to address food insecurity, poor access to services, governance issues, and economic problems,” President Boakai noted. He emphasized that the AAID and CDAs will contribute to lowering poverty, enhancing people’s lives, and guaranteeing advancement throughout the nation.
“AAID is a call to action for all Liberians government, private sector, diaspora, international partners, civil society, and communities to come together in pursuit of our common objectives,” the President said. In order to revitalize important industries including agribusiness, tourism, digital technology, infrastructure, education, and healthcare, cooperation will be essential.
The President concluded by emphasizing that the AAID and CDAs are not static blueprints. He said that these plans will change as our requirements do, and we’ll make sure they’re carried out in a way that’s adaptable to new possibilities and problems.
The National Development Plan, together with the ARREST Agenda and the 15 County Development Agendas for the years 2025–2029, is a significant step in constructing Liberia’s future, according to a special statement earlier made by Finance and Development Planning Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan.
“It is crucial that we make sure that every component of these development frameworks is in line with the actual needs, aspirations, and challenges facing the Liberian people as we get ready to endorse this plan and the accompanying CDAs,” the Minister said.
The National Development Plan and CDAs, according to Minister Ngafuan, were created collaboratively utilizing information and input from the public, business, and civil society sectors.
He informed the audience that the validation exercise’s goal was to ensure that these programs truly addressed Liberians’ needs. He listed the plans’ primary objectives as follows: Governance, Social Wellbeing, Infrastructure and Innovation, Inclusive Growth, and Sustainable Development.
The initiative is expected to cost US$8.4 billion, according to the Finance and Development Planning Minister.
He said, “The private sector, development partners, and diaspora investments will provide the remaining 70%, with the government contributing 30%.” Minister Ngafuan emphasized that the government is dedicated to strengthening its domestic resource mobilization initiatives by implementing reforms to tax administration, tax policy, particularly reducing tax expenditures, and reducing wasteful public spending.
The National Development Plan is not only a government initiative; it is the ambition of all Liberians, the Finance Minister told the Cabinet and National Steering Committee members.
“This National Development Plan is not just a government document it is the collective vision of our country’s future. It is a blueprint for how we address the challenges of poverty, inequality, unemployment, and underdevelopment as we advance our society,” Minister Ngafuan heralded.
Minister Ngafuan concluded by thanking President Boakai for his leadership in directing the plans’ development and stressing the value of cooperation in building a better future for Liberia.
Christine Umotoni, the UN Resident Coordinator, commended the Liberian government and people for this significant achievement and for ensuring that the planning process was inclusive.
As friends, partners, and steering committee members of Liberia, she said, the support of the AAID and the CDAs is a revolutionary step in the direction of inclusive development.
She ended by promising the entire assistance of the United Nations and other development partners for the plans’ execution.
In advance of the plans’ formal introduction in January 2025, the AAID and the CDAs received overwhelming support from the Cabinet and the National Steering Committee.
