Monrovia, Liberia – Liberia has reiterated its commitment to putting children at the center of national development efforts under the new Government–UNICEF Country Programme (2026–2030), according to Hon. Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan, Minister of Finance and Development Planning.
Liberia’s ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development (2025–2029) is based on safeguarding and promoting the well-being of children, Minister Ngafuan stressed at a high-level courtesy visit with Mr. Gilles Fagninou, UNICEF’s Regional Director for West and Central Africa, on Wednesday.
With the goal to improve educational performance and child nutrition, he emphasized the Ministry’s focus on incorporating child-specific goals into national budgetary planning and the need of giving programs like the national school feeding program top priority.
“Children are not just beneficiaries, they are central to our vision for a prosperous Liberia,” said Minister Ngafuan.
The Ministry of Finance and Development Planning is the first in West and Central Africa to specifically incorporate child-focused policies into its national planning framework, according to Mr. Fagninou, who responded by applauding Liberia’s innovative leadership. He called it a model for the region and praised the addition of specific budget lines and broken down quarterly reports.
The two leaders reiterated their mutual dedication to completing the 2026–2030 Country Program and to developing robust, domestic funding plans that lessen dependency on donors while guaranteeing the long-term effects for Liberia’s most vulnerable inhabitants.
