President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr. has placed infrastructure at the heart of Liberia’s national recovery agenda, using the opening of the National Infrastructure Conference in Gompa City, Nimba County, to deliver a politically charged and forward-looking message on governance, development, and state responsibility.
Speaking on January 19, 2026, at the official opening of the conference, President Boakai framed Liberia’s infrastructure crisis not merely as a technical failure, but as a long-standing political and social challenge rooted in conflict, weak coordination, and short-term policymaking. His address set the tone for what appears to be a strategic effort by the administration to redefine infrastructure as a central instrument of state rebuilding and national cohesion.
Welcoming dignitaries that included Ghana’s Minister of Works, members of the Liberian Legislature, Cabinet officials, development partners, diplomats, academics, private sector leaders, and representatives of the Liberian diaspora, the President underscored Nimba County’s historical importance as a former mining hub and a symbol of both Liberia’s economic promise and its post-war decline.
President Boakai revealed that the conference was nearly two years in the making, conceived out of his concern over the persistent deterioration of Liberia’s infrastructure since the civil war. He described decaying roads, collapsing public buildings, unreliable electricity, and limited access to clean water and sanitation as visible reminders of governance gaps that have continued to burden citizens and suppress economic growth.
By invoking remarks from Indian political leader Rahul Gandhi and former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, the President anchored his argument in a broader political economy framework. His message was clear: infrastructure is not an abstract development concept, but the foundation upon which opportunity, productivity, and social mobility are built. Without deliberate state action, he warned, economic growth will continue to bypass the most vulnerable.
Beyond symbolism, the President’s speech reflected a policy pivot. He stressed that infrastructure development must go beyond concrete and steel to address dignity, inclusion, and national confidence. Roads, energy systems, water networks, and housing, he argued, are instruments of social equity and political stability, not merely engineering projects.
President Boakai also linked infrastructure rebuilding to Liberia’s post-conflict healing process. He noted that years of civil war destroyed assets that once represented national pride, but emphasized that reconstruction offers a chance to correct past mistakes. According to him, rebuilding infrastructure is inseparable from rebuilding trust between the state and its citizens.
The President’s call to “build back and build better” carried strong political undertones. He outlined a vision of infrastructure that is globally competitive, climate-resilient, job-creating, and capable of stimulating private enterprise while reducing inequality. This approach, he suggested, marks a departure from fragmented projects toward coordinated national systems driven by innovation and long-term planning.
Central to this vision is the ARREST Agenda, the cornerstone of the Boakai administration’s development policy. The President reaffirmed that infrastructure under this agenda will be deliberately aligned with Africa’s Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals, signaling Liberia’s intention to position itself within broader continental and global development frameworks.
By declaring the conference a “call to action,” President Boakai placed responsibility squarely on institutions, policymakers, and political leaders to move from rhetoric to execution. His closing reference to former U.S. President John F. Kennedy—linking national wealth directly to the quality of infrastructure—reinforced the administration’s argument that economic transformation cannot occur without sustained public investment and disciplined governance.
As Liberia grapples with limited fiscal space, climate risks, and rising public expectations, the National Infrastructure Conference represents more than a technical gathering. Politically, it signals President Boakai’s intent to define his legacy around rebuilding the state through infrastructure—using roads, energy, water, and public works as both economic engines and symbols of a renewed social contract.
With the conference officially declared open, attention now turns to whether the policy clarity articulated in Gompa City will translate into concrete action, institutional reform, and measurable improvements in the daily lives of Liberians.
