By Lewis S. Teh
Liberia’s Finance and Development Planning Minister, Augustine K. Ngafuan, has told development Partners from the United Nations Development Programme Country Team that Liberia doesn’t just need numerous groundbreaking projects; instead, it needs visible, impactful initiatives that will change the lives of its citizens.
“As a country, now we don’t just need to be breaking ground for white elephant projects. What we need are real, impactful initiatives that change lives,” he emphasized.
Minister Ngafuan spoke at the opening of a two-day Strategic Retreat organized by the UN Country System in Monrovia, recently, where he acknowledged the UN’s dedication to aligning its strategic priorities with Liberia’s national development frameworks.
He commended the UNCT for tailoring its Country Framework to reflect the vision and objectives of the AAID.
“The UN is a partner indeed. From war to peace, the UN has been a strong and dependable ally,” Minister Ngafuan said, emphasizing the critical role the UN has played throughout Liberia’s journey of recovery, stability, and development.
The two-day strategic retreat held under the theme “United in Action: Building a Resilient Liberia” brings together key stakeholders to examine global development trends and evaluate the UN’s cooperation with the Liberian government.
The objective is to establish a paradigm shift that fosters more effective and transformative approaches to development initiatives, delivering meaningful and measurable impact for Liberians.
Minister Ngafuan called for greater urgency and innovation in financing national development, stressing the importance of exploring alternative funding mechanisms to fully implement the AAID.
“We must move with speed to ensure that our frameworks and plans are not just well-crafted but also executed on time,” he stated.
He urged all development partners to be more visible and results-driven in delivering projects that directly benefit the people, such as improved roads, water systems, electricity, and human capacity development.
For her part, UN Resident Coordinator Christine Umutoni echoed the Minister’s sentiments, noting the importance of strengthening collaboration and coherence across the UN system.
She stressed the need for all UN agencies operating in Liberia to reconfigure and realign their programmatic frameworks to better support and implement the AAID.
“This retreat is a unique opportunity to review and adopt unified strategies that promote synergy and deliver results,” said Umutoni.
The two-day engagement is expected to lay the foundation for a reinvigorated partnership between Liberia and the UN system—one that is more responsive to emerging challenges, more aligned with national priorities, and better equipped to deliver lasting development outcomes for all Liberians.
