Liberia: World Bank to Support Digitizing Liberia’s Economy
The World Bank has officially announced its commitment to support Liberia’s digitalization efforts, which would foster significant economic growth and development.
The Bank position, which was made known by Georgia Wallen, the Liberia Country Manager, aims to harness the power of technology to drive innovation, improve governance, and create economic opportunities for all Liberians.
Liberia, like many countries worldwide, recognizes the transformative potential of digital technologies, which can lead to increased efficiency, and inclusivity across various sectors of the economy.
“We’ll assess Liberia’s digital transformation journey and also look ahead — what can Liberia’s digital transformation economy look like in the future?” Wallen said.
“So, this is not only about adopting technology that is sustainable and benefits all but rather creating an entirely digital environment that is inclusive,” she added. “We stand ready to support key interventions to boost better jobs and improve services.”
Wallen noted that the bank's support for the digital Liberia vision is strongly committed to the country’s development through its continent-level initiative, the Digital Economy for Africa (DE4A).
The World Bank Liberia Country Manager made these commitments on September 12, at a one-day stakeholders meeting aimed at having a roundtable discussion on Liberia’s digitized economy.
It was held under the theme: “Building a Digital Liberia: Bridging Vision and Transformation for Unleashing Future Development.”
She used the occasion to call on Liberians to pursue approaches that will prioritize opportunities, stimulate growth, foster more accessibility, and improve the quality of public and private services.
“We, at the World Bank, have adopted an ecosystem approach to support countries to achieve accelerated, inclusive, and sustained growth through economy-wide digital transformation,” she revealed.
According to Wallen, Liberia’s Digital Transformation Agenda, the global economy is undergoing a profound transformation, with digital technologies revolutionizing the way everyone lives, works, and interacts.
She also stressed the importance of Liberians reflecting collectively and recognizing the profound impact that digitalization can have on Liberia's development.
“I encourage all stakeholders to participate actively as we consider ways to adapt, earn, and innovate. Together, we want to work towards a future in which every Liberian has the chance to thrive in the digital economy,” Wallen added.
She explained that the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated this transformation, stepping up technology adoption worldwide and across sectors, including education, health, and finance.
For his part, Post and Telecommunications Minister Worlea Saywah Dunah lauded the World Bank Group for organizing and bringing together other experts from across government ministries and agencies’, including CSOs for the purpose of having a round table discussion on Liberia’s digitized economy, which he described as essential to Liberia’s digital economy transformation.
Dunah stated that the coming of the workshop was a strategy because it comes at a time when we are striving to transform Liberia into a knowledge-based economy and an inclusive information society that enhances social development for all.
“This is the vision that we aspired to as a nation in developing a vibrant ICT sector and this vision is captured in the President’s flagship agenda, which is called the PAPD,” He added. “We are beginning to work with stakeholders in the sector and development partners to develop a 5-year national digital transformational agenda that will meet the best ICT standards through which we can achieve social and economic development as enshrined in the PAPD.”