Liberia’s Finance Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan has disclosed that the US$8.38 billion ARREST Agenda for Development Agenda (AAID) will be used as an instrument to prioritize the wellbeing of every Liberian.
Speaking Wednesday, January 15, 2025 during the launch of the AAID in Grand Bassa County, Minister Nyafuan urged Liberians to work tirelessly to overcome the barriers to development and unlock the full potential of Liberia to offer hope and opportunity.
According to him, the AAID is not merely a document—it is a call to action. It challenges us to rethink our approaches, embrace innovation, and prioritize the well-being of every Liberian. It emphasizes local ownership, cause-consequence analysis, and digital transformation as critical drivers of change; adding that the journey ahead will require unwavering collaboration among all stakeholders.
He said the government will provide leadership, but the private sector, civil society, development partners, and Liberians at home and abroad must play their part. “As we launch the AAID, let us reaffirm our collective commitment to this vision. Let us work tirelessly to overcome the barriers to development and unlock the full potential of our nation. Together, we will build a Liberia that offers hope, opportunity and dignity to all its people,” the minister said.
Minister Nyafuan said the Arrest Agenda for Inclusive Development (AAID) is Liberia’s fourth post-conflict National Development Plan (2025-2029), along with fifteen development plans for the fifteen political subdivisions of the country, the County Development Agendas (CDAs), which successful implementation requires an estimated US$8.38 billion.
He narrated that out of the 8.38 billion, at least 30 percent will be funded by the Government of Liberia, while the remaining 70 percent will potentially come from development partners, the private sector, amongst others.
Liberia’s Finance Minister disclosed that the AAID and the CDAs are anchored in Liberia’s National Vision 2030 and align with global, continental and regional frameworks such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), African Union’s Agenda 2063.
Acknowledging the challenges Liberia faces and recognizing the need to address them, the Finance Minister said the AAID aims to achieve ambitious socio-economic progress, and from an economic perspective, the plan envisions a 37 percent increase in GDP, growing the economy from US$4.75 billion to US$6.5 billion.
Minister Ngafuan said the growth will also see a 23.6 percent increase in per capita GDP, from approximately US$850 to US$1,050 while creating new jobs and formalizing existing ones.
“On the human capital front, the plan aspires to extend life expectancy from 60 to 65 years, reduce the maternal mortality rate from 742 per 100,000 to 440 per 100,000, and reduce multidimensional poverty rate from 45 percent to 36 percent. These and other socioeconomic achievements are expected to improve Liberia’s ranking on the SDG index by 7 places, moving from 152 out of 166 countries to 145 out of 166. Such progress will significantly contribute to Liberia’s development journey toward achieving lower-middle-income status by 2029 and improving the lives of the citizens,” Ngafuan added.
For her part, Madam Christine N. Umutoni, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Liberia, said the AAID is a shared commitment to Liberia’s future. It reflects the aspirations of a nation determined to rise, to overcome challenges and to build a society where no one is left behind;
However, she said achieving these goals requires all efforts—government, development partners, the private sector, civil society, academia and citizens—to work together with unity of purpose.
Madam Umutoni revealed that the AAID sets forth a clear and innovative roadmap to a Liberia where every citizen has the opportunity to thrive, where inequalities are addressed, and where the country’s hard-earned peace and democratic governance are preserved and strengthened.
“It is more than a policy document; it is a bold blueprint for transformation, built on the principles of transparency, accountability and sustainability,” she said.
