Monrovia, Liberia – President Joseph Nyuma Boakai Sr. pledged inclusive growth, national unity, and constitutional change in his second Annual Message to the 55th Legislature. Under the subject “Rescue to Development: Implementing the ARREST Agenda,” the President spoke to parliamentarians on Monday, January 27, and reiterated his administration’s commitment to tackling Liberia’s historic issues and paving the way for long-term growth.
President Boakai called for a constitutional revision, calling it a “Moment of Truth” for the country, in a speech that touched on several important areas of administration. The President declared, “In order to address the shortcomings in our Organic Law, I will propose a review of our Constitution.”
KEY HIGHLIGHTS FROM SONA 2025
Education:
The President in his SONA presented to the Legislature key strides;
In 2024, the rescue government inherited an educational sector faced with significant
challenges: $2 million in scholarship arrears, poorly qualified teachers, and inadequate
infrastructure. Many public schools had deteriorated, with several projects delayed or
abandoned.
Rescue Intervention:
➢ To address these issues, we committed $1 million to clear scholarship arrears, including
West African Senior School Examination (WASSCE) fees, with over half a million already
paid. We assessed 14 counties, validated the teaching workforce, and are transitioning
qualified volunteer teachers into the system.
➢ Launched a $75 million foundational learning project with USAID, focusing on reading and
math for third graders, and equipped 156 public schools with digital learning platforms
and solar power.
➢ New policies, such as the National School Quality Standards and the Center for Excellence,
will ensure high educational standards.
➢ At the primary level, we are launching the “One Child, One Chair” initiative to address the
shortage of chairs for schoolchildren nationwide.
➢ At the tertiary level, we have assessed the need for renovating the University of Liberia’s
facilities and initiated transformational leadership efforts to build the university’s
endowment, enhancing its national and global effectiveness as a center of academic
excellence in the coming years.
➢ This Boakai led administration has taken deliberate steps to combat hunger and food
insecurity in schools by allocating one million United States dollars to the school feeding
program for primary schools.Roads
A top priority the Boakai led Administration is the development of road infrastructure, essential
for convenient travel, access to services, and boosting commerce. The poor state of our roads
has long contributed to rural neglect and stunted our development. The President in his speech
stated that It is unacceptable that, out of 13,000 kilometers of the proposed road network, only
1,600 kilometers are paved.
Improving road connectivity is a cornerstone of our development agenda.
Rescue Interventions
✓ In the past year, we delivered on our promise to recondition and maintain major road
corridors within the first 100 days.
✓ In addition, the President announced that paving of the Medina to Robertsport road will
commence in March of this year.
✓ We have continued to maintain 783 kilometers of major roads nationwide, making key
routes such as Brewerville to Bopolu, Voinjama to Foya, Foya to Mendikorma, and
Zwedru to Kanweaken passable, resulting in reduced commodity prices.
✓ Since January 2024, we expanded the RIA Road Project from 8 to 20 kilometers of paved
roadway. The Sanniquellie to Logatuo Road Project is now 85% complete, with 42
kilometers paved, while the Saclepea to Tappita Road Project has reached 50%
completion.
✓ With financing from the World Bank’s Rural Economic Transformation Project (RETRAP),
we completed the biodiversity study on the Tappita to Zwedru corridor, including Toe
Town to Zwedru. We have also secured financing and finalized designs for key corridors
including Zwedru to John Davies Town, Putuken to Kelipo, and Barclayville to Sasstown
to Klowne.
✓ To enhance safety and vibrancy in Monrovia, we have expanded public spaces by
creating alleys, clearing drainage ditches, and installing solar streetlights.
✓ In this first quarter of 2025, this government anticipates progress on the Tubman
Boulevard overpass bridge project.Agriculture
As an agrarian economy with vast resources, Liberia has immense potential for large-scale
agriculture that will create jobs, feed our people, and strengthen our economy. However, this
vital sector has not received the attention it deserves
We have engaged both domestic and international investors, showcasing Liberia as a land of
untapped opportunities. While some key agreements are still pending, the President reported
that we are actively negotiating with major multinational companies in energy, mining,
agriculture, infrastructure, and technology. Once finalized, these negotiations are expected to
bring over $3 billion in investments to our economy.
Interventions
✓ During the period under review, Liberia also received $398.2 million in off-budget Official
Development Assistance for critical sectors such as health, agriculture, and infrastructure.
✓ Over the past year, we have taken significant steps to advance agriculture and enhance
self-sufficiency. To help reduce our reliance on rice imports, we cultivated over 4,000
hectares of rice. This year, we aim to double our efforts by cultivating an additional 6,000
hectares.
✓ We are constructing five mechanization centers in Bong, Lofa, Margibi, Montserrado,
and Nimba counties to enable farmers to access essential machinery for improved
production. Progress is underway in mechanizing cassava cultivation, aimed at both
consumption and starch export.
✓ We have Directed Substantial support towards cocoa and oil palm production, resulting
in over 10,000 hectares of cocoa cultivation and investments in palm oil agribusiness. We
are also in the process of establishing a palm and vegetable oil refinery to meet the
demands of commercial production.
✓ To combat food insecurity and support vulnerable populations, our agriculture policy
emphasizes humanitarian efforts through the Food Security and Nutrition Cluster. We
have launched the Comprehensive Food Security and Nutrition Survey to assess food
security in our communities.
✓ To foster innovation and growth the National Agriculture Fair in Kakata, Margibi County,
which will now be reactivated as an annual event, with the next one scheduled in Nimba
County in 2025.Economy
The President acknowledged the challenges in the state of our economy while highlighting
interventions a gains made. We inherited an economy in steep decline, with Liberians facing
unprecedented hardships including rising unemployment, inflation, and growing inequality.
Before our administration, growth had slowed to just 4.6 percent, while inflation surged to
double digits at 10.1 percent, driven largely by rising food and fuel prices.
The current account deficit (at the time) had worsened to 26.4 percent of GDP, international
reserves were dangerously low at just 2.1 months of import cover, and our debt burden had
ballooned to $2.5 billion, or 54.6 percent of GDP. Civil servants were facing extreme hardship
due to pay “harmonization” and delayed salary payments, leaving them vulnerable to payday
lenders and informal financial schemes like Susu clubs.
We took decisive action to increase salary of health workers, the police, and teachers. We have
taken steps necessary to restore economic stability; and have made good progress.
Interventions & Gains
• In 2024, our economy demonstrated resilience and steady growth, with a revised real
GDP growth rate of 5.1%.
• We have managed inflation prudently, reducing it to 7.7% by the end of 2024, down
from 10.1% in 2023, thanks to sound fiscal and monetary policies. We expect inflation to
decrease further to 6.0% in 2025
• The country’s international reserves have improved to US$458.9 million, and the Liberian
dollar has appreciated by 4.7% against the US dollar. The Central Bank has reduced the
monetary policy rate from 20% to 17%, boosting confidence in the financial system. As a
result, private sector credit has increased by 9.1%.
• We have also made progress in modernizing financial systems, improving access to
finance for micro, small, and medium enterprises (SMEs), and increasing financial
inclusion, which now covers 52% of the adult population.
• Implementing the National Electronic Payment Switch (NEPS) and the transition to a
cashless economy further demonstrate our commitment to a stable, inclusive, and
resilient economy.• The insurance sector is also being strengthened, with reforms underway to establish an
independent Insurance Commission.
• The establishment of Special Economic Zones will further diversify the economy,
promote job creation, and foster inclusive development.
• We are implementing policy changes to attract investment, including simplifying
regulations, reducing red tape, and strengthening legal frameworks while ensuring
social protection and local empowerment.
• I am pleased to report that we are actively negotiating with major multinational
companies in energy, mining, agriculture, infrastructure, and technology. Once finalized,
these negotiations are expected to bring over $3 billion in investments to our economy.
• we anticipate a promising medium-term outlook, with expected growth rates of 5.8% in
2025.
• We successfully passed the 2025 national budget in the amount of US$880.7 million
before the start of the fiscal year—the first time this has happened in the post-war
period.
• Passage of the budget before the start of the fiscal year will also make the execution of
the national budget more predictable and efficient.
• For many years, the government neglected to remit County Development and Social
Development Funds to the counties, depriving citizens of essential resources for local
governance and development. However, we have begun reversing this trend by
ensuring that these funds allocations for 2024 were duly disbursed to the counties.
• For many years, the government neglected to remit County Development and Social
Development Funds to the counties, depriving citizens of essential resources for local
governance and development. However, we have begun reversing this trend by
ensuring that these funds allocations for 2024 were duly disbursed to the counties.
• Rice –Despite global trends affecting commodity supply and prices, we have seen
consistent declines in the costs of essential commodities, including rice and petroleum
products. The price of 25kg IR64 parboiled rice was reduced within the first two months
of our leadership.• In addition, we successfully implemented measures to reduce pump prices, lowering the
price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) by 12.53%, from $4.47 in January to $3.91 in
December 2024.
• In FY 2024, in the face of global challenges, Liberia made remarkable progress in
domestic revenue mobilization
• We collected just over $734 million in total revenu, out of which, domestic revenue
collection stood at an impressive $695.3 million, a 12% growth over the previous year.
This achievement marks the highest domestic revenue collection in our nation’s history.
• On the expenditure side, we spent a total of US$661.4 million to execute the
government’s functions and projects.
• To strengthen progress, we have implemented needed tax reforms, introducing the
Value-Added Tax (VAT) in April 2024 to replace the outdated Goods and Services Tax
(GST).
• We are also investing in digital tax administration and building a state-of-the-art
customs inspection facility at the Freeport of Monrovia to increase efficiency and
expand our tax base.
• These interventions and reforms align with regional standards, improve tax compliance,
and are expected to create a more stable revenue stream for the future.
Water & Sanitation
Poor sanitation, inadequate clean water supply, and aging infrastructure, especially in Monrovia
and other cities, have long posed challenges. Forty-two percent of our population still lacks
basic toilet facilities. Addressing these public health concerns is a key priority in our
development agenda, and significant progress has been made in the past year.
Interventions
✓ We successfully repaired the 1-million-gallon city reservoir in Central Monrovia with
support from the World Bank, restoring water supply for the first time in 10 years.
Improvements include a new chlorine dosing unit at the White Plains Water Treatment
Plant, rehabilitation of the Caldwell Booster to enhance supply in multiple areas, and
the expansion of water systems in Bushrod Island, Rock Hill, Soul Clinic, and New
Georgia.✓ We are replacing the 36-inch pipe on the main transmission line from White Plains to
Monrovia with a 48-inch pipe. A new water system is under construction in Bopolu City,
set for dedication in February. We plan to connect an additional 3,000 homes in
Monrovia and Paynesville this year.
✓ With USAID support, we are conducting the feasibility of rehabilitating the Kakata and
Buchanan water systems. This year, we will construct water systems for Pleebo and
Greenville and rehabilitate the Zwedru system. Additionally, over 1,700 new and
reconnected customers have benefited from ongoing sewerage improvements.
Legislation
➢ We improved public sector accountability and worked on road infrastructure while
addressing issues in agriculture, health, education, technology, and drug abuse,
alongside key legislation.
➢ The President encouraged the legislature to act swiftly on the outstanding proposals
before us—the Presidential Transition Bill, the National Tourism Bill, and the Local
Government Bill.
➢ We also urge your prompt attention to the Bank-Financial Institutions and Bank
Financial Holding Companies Act of 2024 and the new Zoning Law, that will impact the
national budget, six financing agreements to support economic growth, and two bills
aimed at improving education and the tax system.
➢ To empower our young people and equip them with the skills necessary to meet
national needs, we propose the Liberia Youth Service Program (LYSEP) and the Technical
and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Commission Act of 2024.
➢ The President will be submitting new legislative proposals, including the Amended
Payment Systems Act, the Liberia Insurance Regulatory Commission Act, and the
Revised Code of Conduct for Public Officials.
➢ Additionally, we will propose reforms for state-owned enterprises through the
establishment of the State-Owned Enterprises Authority of Liberia (SEAL).
➢ We also issued 14 Executive Orders addressing the urgent needs of the government,
including those establishing the Office of War and Economic Crimes Courts (WECC) and
the National Railway Authority.➢ On sustainable health financing, we are making progress with the National Social Health
Insurance Scheme, and a bill to create the National Health Equity Fund for Universal
Health Coverage will soon be submitted for your consideration
Media Infrastructure & Press Freedom
Gains made:
➢ On the communication front, the Liberia Broadcasting System is making significant
progress on the construction of a new Television and Radio Expansion Complex, which is
ahead of schedule. This $5.5 million project, funded by the People’s Republic of China
through China Aid, includes a complete refurbishment of the existing infrastructure and
the introduction of modern advanced equipment.
➢ Once completed, LBS’s radio and television networks will experience a substantial
improvement in their ability to inform, educate, and entertain the public.
➢ This Government is dedicated to promoting freedom of the press and fostering an
environment where the media can thrive. To support this commitment, operational
licenses were issued to 45 new print and electronic media institutions during the review
period.
Tourism Infrastructure:
The Roberts International Airport, a vital gateway to Liberia and a potential driver of economic
development has faced operational challenges. However, under this administration, we have
charted a new course, making significant strides to unlock its promise as a regional hub.
Intervention:
✓ To enhance safety and operations at the airport, we have invested in additional fire
trucks, backup generators, and navigational aids. Ongoing engagements with developers
are focused on expanding the airport and improving its infrastructure and management.
These initiatives instill confidence among global airline operators and travelers,
reflecting our commitment to positioning Liberia as an attractive destination for global
business and travel.
✓ Recently, we welcomed Ethiopian Airlines, which connects Liberia to over 150 global
destinations and reduces air travel costs to key markets, including the USA, Europe, and
Dubai. We are also in advanced discussions with carriers like Qatar Airways to establish
an air service agreement.✓ In addition, we are happy to announce that paving of the Medina to Robertsport road
will commence in March of this year.
✓ This Project will unlock the Tourism Potential of Robertsport City and attract Foreign
Direct investment in Tourism as well as create Jobs for our People.
Health & Substance Abuse
Interventions/Gains
▪ Today, we are pleased to report that public health centers in all 15 counties have
received essential medicines, and the Community Pharmacy initiative is being piloted
nationwide.
▪ Maternal and child mortality rates have decreased, with child vaccination rates rising
from 64.9% to 73% in 2024. We have also seen improvements in the tuberculosis
treatment success rate.
▪ However, drug and substance abuse remains an epidemic. As a result of the danger and
wide-ranging impact on our society, we declared drug and substance abuse as a health
emergency and a threat to national security.
▪ To date, we have made steady progress in raising awareness and preventing drug abuse.
To demonstrate our commitment, my Vice President and I led by example by
undergoing drug tests.
▪ Several at-risk youth have completed rehabilitation and reintegrated into society.
Notably, we acquired 50 acres in Bensonville, Montserrado County, where
preconstruction activities have begun for a Neuropsychiatric Hospital to treat mental
health and substance use disorders.
▪ A Regional Diagnostic Center is under development in Gbalatuah, Bong County, with
38.7 acres secured and preconstruction underway. This center will enhance diagnostic
services, particularly in rural Liberia. We intend to establish three additional regional
diagnostic centers across the country.
▪ We are advancing several health infrastructure projects, including eight of fifteen staff
housing units in Zwedru nearing completion. There are 23 ongoing infrastructure
projects such as the construction and renovation of hospitals and health centers in
Zwedru, Barclayville and other parts of the country. In addition, six oxygen plants have
been commissioned in Montserrado (at JFK), Lofa, Nimba, Grand Gedeh, and Grand Kru.▪ With the support of the Chinese Government, we have broken ground for the
construction of a $16 million National Clinical and Diagnostic Laboratory at the 14-
Military Hospital in Margibi County.
▪ On sustainable health financing, we are making progress with the National Social Health
Insurance Scheme, and a bill to create the National Health Equity Fund for Universal
Health Coverage will soon be submitted for your consideration.
▪ As part of a groundbreaking health initiative, we are addressing cardiovascular issues in
Liberia. In collaboration with the University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC), we are
establishing a state-of-the-art Cardiothoracic Center at John F. Kennedy Memorial
Hospital (JFK). This partnership emphasizes cross-training medical professionals,
equipping advanced facilities, and performing life-saving surgeries.
▪ By mid-2025, our goal is to perform some of these critical surgeries such as open heart
surgergies locally at JFK, significantly improving access to cardiac care for all Liberians.
Drug Abuse
▪ Drug and substance abuse remains an epidemic. As a result of the danger and wide
ranging impact on our society, we declared drug and substance abuse as a health
emergency and a threat to national security.
▪ To date, we have made steady progress in raising awareness and preventing drug abuse.
To demonstrate our commitment, my Vice President and I led by example by
undergoing drug tests.
▪ Several at-risk youth have completed rehabilitation and reintegrated into society.
Notably, we acquired 50 acres in Bensonville, Montserrado County, where
preconstruction activities have begun for a Neuropsychiatric Hospital to treat mental
health and substance use disorders.
▪ A Regional Diagnostic Center is under development in Gbalatuah, Bong County, with
38.7 acres secured and preconstruction underway. This center will enhance diagnostic
services, particularly in rural Liberia. We intend to establish three additional regional
diagnostic centers across the country.▪ We are advancing several health infrastructure projects, including eight of fifteen staff
housing units in Zwedru nearing completion. There are 23 ongoing infrastructure projects
such as the construction and renovation of hospitals and health centers in Zwedru,
Barclayville and other parts of the country. In addition, six oxygen plants have been
commissioned in Montserrado (at JFK), Lofa, Nimba, Grand Gedeh, and Grand Kru.
The President concluded his deliberation with a clarion call,
“We started this journey together with the faith that we can face and address our difficulties,
course correct and set a path for a transformed future. Let us with compassion continue to
stand united as we move forward, hand in hand, toward a prosperous and inclusive future for
our nation. After one year in office, we can confidently say that the STATE OF OUR NATION is
better than when we began. Our progress in twelve productive months is just the beginning,
and prospects are encouraging.”
I call on our friends on the other side of the political divide, including the opposition parties to
join us in fostering a government of inclusion. Our democracy should not be defined by
elections where the winner is perceived to have taken all. Instead, our path should not be
about the next election but the next generation. We must embrace genuine unity and
reconciliation.
Call for Unity and Inclusion
President Boakai appealed for unity and healing among Liberians of all political persuasions. He argued for a governance paradigm that puts the next generation ahead of the next election, saying, “Elections where the winner is perceived to have taken all should not define our democracy.”
President Boakai’s audacious plans and unwavering dedication to change set the stage for a revolutionary period in Liberia’s history as the country looks to the future. In addition to outlining a development plan, he urged all Liberians to work together to create a successful and inclusive future.
