Monrovia, Liberia — In a historic move aimed at increasing decentralisation, the Liberian Senate resolved to disband the Ministry of Internal Affairs and create a new Ministry of Local Government to supervise local administrations across the nation.
The decision is in line with the Local Government Act of 2018, which mandates the transfer of authority from the central government in Monrovia to county and district levels.
Lawmakers say the new ministry will strengthen grassroots governance, enhance service delivery, and eliminate bureaucratic delays associated with centralized control.
Under the new framework, the Ministry of Local Government will supervise all local government structures and coordinate development initiatives nationwide. To ensure continuity, the Senate confirmed that all existing contracts, policies, and obligations entered into by the former Ministry of Internal Affairs will remain legally binding during the transition.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs, one of Liberia’s oldest government institutions, has for more than a century served as the primary link between the central government and local communities. Its dissolution represents the most sweeping restructuring of Liberia’s governance system since the enactment of the 2018 decentralization law.
As implementation begins, attention is now focused on the pace of the transition and whether local authorities will be adequately resourced to translate the reform into tangible improvements at the community level.
