President Joseph Nyuma Boakai has launched the Excellence in Learning in Liberia (EXCEL) Project—a national program aimed at improving literacy and numeracy outcomes for children in early childhood and primary school.
By Jaheim T. [email protected]
The $88.7 million initiative, the largest foundational education investment in Liberia’s history, is funded through a $60 million concessional credit from the International Development Association (IDA) of the World Bank and a $28.7 million grant from the Global Partnership for Education (GPE).
Delivering his remarks, President Boakai said that the initiative is not just a project but it is a declaration of our commitment to the children of Liberia.”
Said President Boakai, “EXCEL is a key pillar in our ARREST Agenda and a direct response to the urgent need for equitable, high-quality education for every Liberian child—especially in our public schools.”
The EXCEL Project is expected to benefit over 362,000 students, teachers, and education staff in 2,337 public early childhood and primary schools across all 15 counties of Liberia. The program would provide 350,000 students from the final year of early childhood education through Grade 6 with new and improved learning materials in literacy and numeracy.
Twelve thousand (12,000) teachers and principals will undergo training in foundational learning, mentoring, instructional leadership, and school management, with 14,000 school management committee (SMC) members and Ministry of Education staff will benefit from capacity-building programs. Notably, 48% of all direct beneficiaries are expected to be female, signaling a strong commitment to gender equity in education.
Despite the massive support from global partners, one critical step remains before full rollout: ratification of the $60 million IDA credit by the National Legislature.
“The time to act is now,” President Boakai urged lawmakers. “This is a national effort that touches every county, every classroom, and every child. Let us act with urgency to secure this investment for the future of our nation.”
Also speaking, Finance and Development Planning Minister Augustin Ngafuan described EXCEL as “a gift to the next generation” and a shining example of what leadership, vision, and partnership can accomplish.
“President Boakai is pushing, and the whole government is moving,” Ngafuan declared. “As he pushes us, I push my deputies and assistants. And across government, we’re being pushed to act—not just talk.”
Ngafuan highlighted education as a top priority under the ARREST development agenda, second only to infrastructure.
“We’ve set an ambitious target of $2.6 billion for human capacity development under ARREST. And yes—we must be ambitious.”
He also recounted the “tough negotiations” in Washington, D.C. that led to the securing of the GPE grant.
“This didn’t fall from the sky,” Ngafuan emphasized. “It came from hard work, strategic discussions, and a shared belief in Liberia’s future.”
Representing the World Bank, Country Manager Madam Georgia Wallen praised the EXCEL Project as “historic in ambition, scale, and urgency.”
“This is the largest education investment the World Bank has ever made in Liberia,” she noted. “It reaches every public early childhood and primary school and lays the foundation for real transformation in literacy, numeracy, inclusion, and school leadership.”
Wallen emphasized that EXCEL is directly aligned with the ARREST Agenda, Liberia’s Vision 2030, and the World Bank’s new Country Partnership Framework, which puts human capital at the heart of national development.
“Liberia’s children deserve more and better,” she said. “EXCEL is a down payment on the kind of transformation that unlocks opportunity and restores dignity.”
Minister of Education, Jarso Jallah described the EXCEL Project as a “game-changing intervention” aimed at fixing Liberia’s learning crisis at the root.
“EXCEL allows us to tackle the real problems—by investing in classrooms, in teachers, and in communities,” she explained. “It strengthens the very foundation on which our education system is built—early childhood and primary education.”
She outlined the project’s focus on practical, high-impact solutions:
“This is not just about big numbers. It’s about delivering real results, real skills, and real confidence to our students and educators.”
