MONROVIA – The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has provided funding to support Liberia in the development of a new Human Capital Development Strategy (HCDS), aimed at improving health, education, workforce skills, and economic participation by 2030.
The Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP), through its ECOWAS National Office, confirmed that a grant of US$75,000 has been secured from the ECOWAS Commission to guide the formulation of Liberia’s national human capital development plan. The strategy will serve as part of a broader regional effort to make ECOWAS a top-performing bloc in human capital by the end of the decade.
During the 59th Ordinary Session of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government, the regional body adopted an ambitious Integrated Human Capital Development Strategy, which calls on all member states to implement national plans aligned with the 2030 targets.
Liberia’s starting point, however, is well below average. A capacity assessment in 2020 placed the country’s Human Capital Index (HCI) at 0.32, compared to the ECOWAS average of 0.38 and the sub-Saharan Africa benchmark of 0.40. The findings placed Liberia among the lowest performers in the region, alongside Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Guinea-Bissau.
To reverse this trend, Liberia’s new HCDS will prioritize six thematic areas: health and nutrition, education, workforce participation, entrepreneurship, financial inclusion, and digital innovation. MFDP officials said these pillars are critical to boosting productivity and building a competitive economy.
“The strategy is not just about statistics, but about empowering Liberians to live healthier lives, gain quality education, and access opportunities that create wealth and reduce poverty,” the ministry said in a statement announcing the program.
As part of the process, MFDP will hold a national workshop from September 4 to 6, 2025, in Monrovia. The two-day event will gather 50 policymakers, practitioners, and analysts to review Liberia’s development challenges and co-design solutions. Key outputs will include acceleration plans across education, health, workforce, and governance, as well as concrete action plans and implementation frameworks.
According to the ministry, the workshop will be followed by a pre-validation session with senior MFDP management before the official launch and nationwide awareness campaign of the new human capital development strategy.
Officials stressed that the strategy will be a living document, subject to regular reviews and updates to reflect Liberia’s changing realities. They further noted that sustained investment in human capital is essential for Liberia to keep pace with regional and global economic competition.
“Human capital development is at the heart of inclusive growth,” the ministry emphasized. “With ECOWAS support, Liberia is positioning itself to transform education, health, and workforce readiness to meet its 2030 development goals.”
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