MONROVIA – Former President Pro Tempore of the Liberian Senate, Senator Armah Zolu Jallah, has issued a stirring call for Liberia to chart a bold new course away from foreign aid dependency and toward a future defined by self-reliance, productivity, and global competitiveness.
In a statement released on May 12, 2025, in Monrovia, the veteran lawmaker called for a national transformation rooted in investment, manufacturing, and trade. Jallah emphasized that while international assistance has supported Liberia through its post-war recovery, the time has come for the country to transition into a value-creating economy.
“Our nation has been shaped by years of post-war recovery and international support,” Jallah said. “But the time has come for Liberia to stand on its own feet, not as a recipient of goodwill, but as a builder of value and a partner in global commerce.”
Highlighting Liberia’s vast natural resources, youthful population, and strategic location along the West African coast, Jallah identified these assets as foundational pillars for economic transformation. He called for aggressive development in agro-processing, light manufacturing, and intra-African trade, noting that Liberia holds comparative advantages in products such as pineapple, cassava, cocoa, and timber.
“We must stop exporting raw materials and importing finished goods,” Jallah declared. “Liberia must process what it grows, manufacture what it needs, and export what it makes.”
The former Senate leader outlined a four-pronged framework to guide Liberia’s economic transition: the establishment of industrial parks in key regions, the attraction of responsible domestic and foreign investment, deeper integration into regional trade frameworks like ECOWAS and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and a national investment in vocational education to prepare a skilled workforce.
Jallah described this transition as not merely economic, but moral and generational. “We owe it to the next generation to leave behind an economy of opportunity, not dependency. Liberia must never again be trapped in survival mode. We must produce, we must trade, and we must build.”
While recognizing the contributions of international partners in Liberia’s past recovery efforts, Jallah stressed that long-term sustainability must come from within. “Foreign aid helped us get back on our feet, but it was never meant to carry us forever,” he said. “What we need now are investments that create value, jobs that give dignity, and policies that put Liberians first.”
Jallah called on leaders across the political spectrum, as well as the private sector and civil society, to unify around a national development vision that emphasizes self-reliance and long-term structural reform.
“Liberia cannot rise by aid alone,” Jallah concluded. “We will rise by our ability to produce what we consume, trade what we make, and lead where we once followed. Let this be the decade where Liberia chooses productivity over pity, enterprise over dependence, and dignity over delay.”
Senator Jallah, a long-serving public servant and influential voice in Liberian governance, continues to advocate for policies that promote national unity and economic independence.
