Yokohama, Japan – On the sidelines of the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9), President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., held an important engagement with Dr. Tanaka Akihiko, President of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), to discuss strengthening Liberia–Japan development cooperation.
President Boakai expressed Liberia’s deep gratitude for JICA’s longstanding partnership and highlighted the agency’s significant contributions to Liberia’s reconstruction and development, particularly in infrastructure, agriculture, and health.
The Liberian Leader outlined his ARREST Agenda and emphasized the importance of aligning JICA’s support with Liberia’s priorities in food security, infrastructure connectivity, renewable energy, and human capacity development. He called for the expansion of the successful LIBRICE project to additional counties and welcomed continued Japanese investment in rural livelihoods and health systems.
For his part, Dr. Tanaka reaffirmed JICA’s strong commitment to Liberia and praised President Boakai’s vision of people-centered and inclusive growth. He expressed appreciation for Liberia’s determination to rebuild after years of challenges and assured the President that JICA would continue to stand as a reliable partner in this effort.
Dr. Tanaka emphasized that Liberia’s stability and strategic location make it a key partner for Japan’s development cooperation in West Africa. He further committed to strengthening collaboration in critical areas such as rural infrastructure, agricultural productivity, youth skills training, and decentralized health service delivery.
Dr. Tanaka expressed that JICA’s approach is to work closely with national leadership and local communities to ensure that projects are not only sustainable but also transformative in improving the lives of ordinary citizens. He noted that the successes already achieved in Liberia serve as a foundation for scaling up interventions and deepening cooperation in the years ahead.
Among the major projects supported by JICA are:
• Infrastructure: The rehabilitation and extension of the Japan Freeway in Monrovia through a ¥2.7 billion grant agreement, as well as earlier support for the detailed design of a 1.9-kilometer extension linking the Freeport of Monrovia to Gabriel Tucker Bridge.
• Agriculture: The Improving Rice Production for Smallholders (JICA-LIBRICE) project in Bong County, which has modernized lowland rice farming and reduced labor costs for farmers, and the long-running Paddy and Seed Rice Project, which has benefitted more than 400,000 Liberian farmers and their families.
• Health: Technical cooperation with the Montserrado County Health Team, which has strengthened service delivery and management capacity, including the provision of infection prevention and control materials and training.
The meeting concluded with both sides pledging to deepen engagement, expand cooperation, and further strengthen the ties of friendship and development between Liberia and Japan.
