PHOTO: Boakai takes the Oath of Office as Liberia’s 26th President
By Judoemue M. Kollie,
As Liberia’s agricultural sector of continues to undergo transformation, newly inducted President Joseph Nyumah Boakai says his administration will consider improving key areas of the sector to better the economy.
Delivering his inaugural address on Monday, January 22, 2024 in Monrovia, Boakai said his government will ensure incentives for agriculture and access to appropriate technologies for farmers as well as to improve market and trade, among other things.
The agricultural sector of Liberia has undergone some level of transformation over the years. However, the sector has experienced low productivity due to limited investment and mismanagement of resources intended to improve the sector.
Liberia’s 26th President, who was many years ago Minister of Agriculture, said that Agriculture in Liberia is still being supported with funding from external sources.
Boakai, a former Vice President and former minister of agriculture now the country’s 26th president, has declared agriculture as a number one priority to improve food security and to create more jobs for the youths.
He defeated former President George M. Weah in the close November 2023 runoff election.
The newly inducted leader of Liberia said in his speech that agriculture must remain the key driver of the Liberian economy for national growth and development.
“It is our long-held view that, more than any other sector, agriculture is the most critical catalyst to drive growth in an agro-based economy like ours, create employment and ensure food security. It is our goal to leverage our comparative advantage in agriculture including the provision of incentives and application of appropriate technology, as well as key interventions across the value chain such as food processing, storage, marketing, and trading,” he said.
Boakai’s vision “ARREST” (Agriculture, Roads, Rule of Law, Education, Sanitation, Tourism), is defined as the development path he has set for the development of his country.
“We must and will harness opportunities in agriculture, roads, and other infrastructure development; improve the rule of law, rethink the education sector, improve sanitation, and unlock the potential of tourism,” he narrated.
Boakai believes that the economic linkages in these will create and their reinforcement of each other in meeting the developmental goals that will help arrest and reverse years of economic downturn.
He mentioned that agriculture must be the key driver of the economy and potentially for national development, adding that it is a major source of employment in the country, and it provides over 50 percent of the population with livelihood and contributes substantially to the country’s GDP.
The new Liberian President said that he believes that his administration’s strategy for improving agriculture will help with food self-sufficiency, boost economic transformation, and reduce poverty.
According to him, the poor state of the country’s roads has undermined development and reduced the quality of life of the citizens.
“This is indeed a major contributor to rural neglect in the country. This is why we view the building of good roads as a critical intervention in infrastructure improvement for economic growth and national development.
He said that his development agenda and the critical areas can’t be achieved with good and proper road networks.
“What we want to address for economic growth and cannot be realized without the appropriate investment in road connectivity and other infrastructure developments,” the Liberian new leader added.
Boakai has reiterated plans to invest in roads to connect the people, improve agriculture, commerce and industry, education, promote tourism, as well as to provide needed social services such as quality health care delivery for the people.
At the same time, the President of the ECOWAS Non-State Actors Coalition (ECONSA), H. Augustus Roberts has welcomed the President’s vision for agriculture.
He said he is hopeful and optimistic that the Boakai’s administration will do well for the agricultural sector.
“He understands the issues about agriculture and it is possible for him to bring about changes. His plans to improve agriculture to contribute to the economy are highly needed and necessary,” Roberts explained.
He said that the improvement of market and trade are main issues that governments on the African continent are seriously focusing on.
“For instance, the African Continental Free Trade Area (ACFTA) is something that every country on the continent is now working toward. Therefore, the President is on the right track when he talks about priority for trade,” he mentioned.
Roberts said that there is also a need for the President to prioritize the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP) Malabo framework to support agriculture.
Liberia is a signatory to the Malabo Declaration for Food and Nutrition Security that requires 10 percent of public funding toward agriculture annually. But the country is yet to fully adhere to the framework.
There’s a plan for the members of the Coalition of Non-states actors in Liberia to create awareness about the CAADP processes to the new government so that they can get an understanding of it to ensure its implementation.
In February, next month African presidents are expected for a meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to get performance reports on improvement about food security in their respective countries.
Over the years, Liberia had performed poorly on score for food and nutrition security reports.