Liberia: GoL, World Bank Sign US$40M for ‘Urban Resilience’

The Government of Liberia, represented by the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, and the World Bank has inked a US$40 million initiative known as the Liberia Urban Resilience Project (LURP).

At the signing, the Liberian government was represented by Samuel Tweah, Minister of Finance and Development Planning, while the World Bank was represented by Mr. Pierre Frank Laporte, Country Director.

Of the $40 million in facilities, $20 million is a grant, while the remaining $20 million is a loan.

Speaking at the occasion, Minister Tweah said the bank's resources are operating admirably in Liberia. Energy, Education, Roads Infrastructure, Youth Empowerment, and Agriculture are among the significant developments in Liberia that the bank continues to support, according to him.

He stated that the bank is a major partner in the development of road infrastructure, and that finance for the construction of the Saclepea – Zwedru road corridor is currently available.

Tweah stated that the bank's faith in leadership of President George Manneh Weah is reflected in the US$40 million Liberia Urban Resilience Project.

Emphasizing the importance of communities and localities taking responsibility for keeping Monrovia clean, he said: “We are the ones who bring the dirt onto the streets, and we need to modify our ways.”

Pierre Frank Laporte, World Bank Country Director, expressed his delight at the opportunity to attend the signing ceremony for the Liberia Urban Resilience Project in Monrovia.

According to Laporte, the project was approved by the bank’s Board of Directors on May 17, 2022, and it aims to reduce climate and flood risks while also providing essential services and infrastructure to underserved areas.

The project will help 200,000 people, according to the Country Director, with an emphasis on community infrastructure and access to essential services in impoverished and vulnerable communities and market regions.

“Now that the financing agreement has been signed, I hope we can move quickly with the ratification by the Legislature so that the project can become fully effective for implementation to start,” he added.

The Liberia Urban Resilience Project was born out of President George Manneh Weah's call to fund a program that will improve the lives of ordinary Liberians, as part of the Pro-Poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development (PAPD).

This Project seeks to address some of the challenges of the urban environment like drainage construction to mitigate flooding, improve the spatial planning capacity of our cities and national authorities, improve waste management activities of the city and approve Government’s capacity to respond to current climate change challenges affecting the city while developing proper plans for possible future impact.

The Signing Ceremony was attended by the Acting President and Minister of State for Presidential Affairs, Nathaniel F. McGill, as well as the Minister, Deputies and Assistant Ministers of Internal Affairs, and of Public Works, amongst others.