The government, through the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) is impressed by the visit of Winston-Salem Mayor Allen Joines–the first visit of a sitting Mayor of a city in the United States in forty years.
Deputy Internal Affairs Minister for Urban Affairs, Ellen Pratt, described Mayor Joines’ scribed the visit as a defining moment in Liberia’s quest for modern urban governance and development.
Minister Pratt spoke on Tuesday, April 29 in Monrovia, at the conclusion of a five-day working visit facilitated by Sister Cities International.
She highlighted the historic significance of the mayor’s trip, the first by a sitting U.S. mayor in over 40 years and underscored its potential to reshape Liberia’s urban landscape.
“Mr. Mayor, thank you for coming to Liberia and for your openness to see so much of our urban development and challenges, and some of our strides we continue to face,” she said. “We hope at the end of this trip, we now have a good appreciation of the area of collaboration, which includes the technical area, looking at technical assistance to support our mayors, as well as our city planners, urban developers.”
Pratt said the delegation’s engagements across Montserrado and Grand Bassa counties revealed both the potential and urgent needs of Liberia’s cities. She emphasized that the visit goes beyond diplomacy and has already laid the groundwork for long-term partnerships in urban planning, sanitation, and smart city technologies.
“We are looking at support in the areas of IT, as we look at smart cities and digital cities, “she added. “And we are also looking at the major challenge that we have, which is sanitation.”
Mayor Joines, whose city boasts a population of over 265,000 in a metropolitan area of 1.6 million, was visibly moved by what he described as “the warmth of the Liberian people and the resilience of their leaders.”
“I’ve been absolutely blown away by what we’ve experienced here,” he said. “The friendliness of the individual as well as those we work with.”
Mayor Joines also held meetings with three Liberian mayors on how to address strategic planning within their cities, not a huge, long-range plan but one that addresses the next three to five years goals.
“We’ve done a lot of this in Winston-Salem,” he said. “So, what I’m going to offer is to send over our director of planning or one of his chief deputies that will help these cities put together a strategic planning initiative. Another area is sanitation. I have heard that from all of the mayors, they are trying to figure out a way that addresses that in a great way. We have a very strong program in Winston for collecting the trash, disclosing the trash, and keeping things running there. And also, the other issue is Information Technology. Perhaps we might be able to send our director of Information Technology over here that can help figure out ways that these cities can become more available to the citizens through the use of technology.”
Sister Cities International’s Country Representative, Madam Efua McGowan, praised Deputy Minister Pratt for her outstanding coordination and behind-the-scenes leadership that ensured the success of the visit.
“She never left our side. From the moment the idea was conceived, Madam Pratt mobilized a team and ensured every detail was covered,” McGowan said. “Her commitment reflects the spirit of Sister Cities partnerships rooted in peace, collaboration, and people-to-people connection.”
Mr. Ralph Pearson, representing the Liberia Organization of the Piedmont in Winston-Salem, described Mayor Joines as a long-time friend of Liberia. He recounted the mayor’s critical role during the Ebola crisis, when he helped coordinate the shipment of over $50,000 worth of medical supplies to the country.
“When mayor Joines sleeps, he dreams about Liberia. And whatever it takes to make Liberia better; he is willing to do it.”
Deputy Minister Pratt said she believes this visit marks a turning point.
“This is not just ceremonial,” she stated. “This is the beginning of a transformational partnership. Liberia’s cities are ready for the future and we’re grateful to have allies like Mayor Joines and Winston-Salem walking with us on this journey.”
