France has pledged 10 million euros to Liberia for immediate road maintenance, with a more comprehensive and sustainable development package for the country expected to follow, an Executive Mansion dispatch from Paris said on Thursday.
The assistance is a result of being shortlisted on the French Bilateral Official Assistance Program and it comes as President George Manneh Weah continues his state visit to France.
According to the dispatch, in further support to the Weah-led administration, French President Macron will also travel to the European Union (EU) within two weeks along with a Technical Team from Liberia to rally support for road construction.
Additionally, the French Government will also introduce of its new Economic Empowerment Program dubbed: “Agriculture through Sports,” which Liberia stands to benefit from.
This will be done through the construction of sporting facilities and the provision of sporting materials and other logistical support.
The President of France has determined that sports is one of the best ways to promote development in Africa and has therefore embarked on a sports development program.
In another development, the FIFA President, Gianni Infantino, who was invited by the French leader to the launch of his Development through Sports Program, was among a host of sports officials representing various
institutions including the National Basketball Association.
The FIFA boss informed President Weah that FIFA has allocated half a billion United States Dollars towards the development of sports in Africa.
He assured President Weah that Liberia will be amongst the countries in Africa that will benefit from the pilot project.
While on his official State visit to France, President Weah also met with the Vice President of the World Bank, Makhtar Diop.
The meeting concluded that an additional budget support of US$20 million will be provided in June of 2018. This is in addition to the US$24.7 million grant earlier given to Liberia by the World Bank.
President Weah also secured additional financing of US$5 million from the World Bank Social Protection Program to enhance his sports agenda.
He also initiated discussions leading to the front-loading of US$45 million of additional financing from Liberia’s 3-year allocation of $210 million to help stabilize the Liberian economy.
President Weah used his meeting with several French businesses, investors and private institutions to rally support for his government and the people of Liberia in an effort to encourage investments and revive the
Liberian economy.
He enjoined French investors to replicate in Liberia – their investments being undertaken in other African countries, the dispatch from Paris said.