Monrovia, Liberia; August 21, 2025 – The Governance Commission, in collaboration with the Ministries of Internal Affairs, Finance, and Development Planning, has ended a two-day policy dialogue aimed at strengthening coordination of the Monrovia City Corporation.
The two-day brainstorming gathering held under the theme “Improving Monrovia City Administration through Effective Leadership, Proper Coordination, and Resource Mobilization” captured strategy on mobilizing resources and the adoption of several recommendations.
The policy dialogue brought together representatives from the MCC, the Governance Commission, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, among many others.
Speaking at the program marking the end of the dialogue, Governance Commission Acting Chairman, Professor Alaric Togba, stressed the need for the authority to demarcate Monrovia and provide its statutory mandates.
Professor Togba disclosed that participants have agreed that there is an urgent need to review the mandates of institutions that have similar mandates to the Monrovia City Corporation
The participants agreed on the importance of political and administrative reorganization of Monrovia City to align with other cities in international best practices.
During the two days, concerns were raised about the duplication of functions, service delivery gaps, unclear jurisdictions, fragmented governance, revenue collection disputes, erosion of mandates, and overlap of administrative boundaries.
Other concerns included legal inconsistencies, weak regulatory enforcement mechanisms, the use of electoral districts as administrative districts, and the recentralization of decentralization.
According to Professor Togba, the Governance Commission considers that participants at the two-day policy dialogue reached the understanding that there is a pressing need for the political and administrative reorganization of Monrovia.
He encouraged leaders and stakeholder engagements on actionable steps regarding the way forward.
Professor Togba also stressed the imperative for concrete agreements and decision-making processes on what needs to be done to improve Monrovia City and make it a better and safer place for future generations.
“Clearly, there are disturbing ambiguities and conflicting ideas about the demarcation of Monrovia that require authoritative clarification.
Undeniably, addressing the foundational challenges we face will require a review of the constitution of Liberia and a review of the mandates and functions of institutions and agencies that have roles and responsibilities for managing affairs and providing services in Monrovia city,” he added.
Professor Togba rallies stakeholders’ efforts in reconciling the overlaps and conflicts between institutional mandates concerned with the administration of Monrovia.
He pointed out that the city government of Monrovia needs to be reorganized, properly coordinated, and better monetized for the promotion of development.
The Governance Commission also pointed to the lack of knowledge and understanding as a national issue that can no longer be ignored and emphasized that public education and awareness demand the reintroduction of the teaching of government and civics in the schools. Editing by Jonathan Browne
