Monrovia, Liberia – In an effort to finish the long-delayed Gbarnga–Mendikoma Highway and develop electrical infrastructure that is essential to economic growth, senior government officials revealed on Tuesday that the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) is considering new funding for important road and electricity projects in Liberia.
During a high-level meeting in Monrovia on Monday, February 9, 2026, Liberia’s Minister of Finance and Development Planning Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan and senior Saudi Fund officials confirmed that talks are in progress to support priority electricity projects, such as substations and transmission lines connected to the national grid, as well as the remaining portion of the Gbarnga–Mendikoma corridor, specifically the Konia–Voinjama leg.
“This is a good day for Liberia because our good friends are back, describing the visit as part of government’s broader effort to secure financing for infrastructure under President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s development agenda,” he stated.
He added that the Gbarnga–Mendikoma Highway is a vital route that connects Lofa County in central Liberia, and from there it leads to Guinea and Sierra Leone. According to Minister Ngafuan, “While funding commitments from the Kuwait Fund, the OPEC Fund for International Development, and the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA) have already covered major sections, from Salayea to Konia, stating, the Saudi Fund is now the key partner being engaged to finance the remaining portion to Voinjama.”
For the first time since the project started in 2017, the Minister revealed that if the finance was finalized, the entire highway from Salayea to Mendikoma would be fully funded. “A proposed six-kilometer paved stretch from Zorzor to the Guinea border also under discussion would enhance cross-border trade through a major customs post,” the Finance Minister explained.
Following Liberia’s attempts to rebuild credibility by paying debt service commitments and renegotiating blocked projects left over from the previous administration, Minister Ngafuan clarified, the Arab development partners have reaffirmed their faith. “We are baking the bread,” he said, referring to the less visible but essential work of securing financing and rebuilding trust with international partners before tangible benefits reach citizens.
Speaking as well, the Saudi delegation reaffirmed that one of their main objectives is to finance power. The Fund is investigating the possibility of funding certain parts of a power project, estimated to cost between US$45 million and US$47 million, including two substations and related transmission lines, possibly entirely through Saudi funds without the need for outside funding, according to SFD officials.
The Saudi Fund for Development’s CEO has also indicated interest in traveling to Liberia, perhaps in April, to attend the 81-kilometer road segment’s opening and talk more about potential new funding requests.
