In an essential meeting on February 28, 2025, the World Bank’s Transport Department, led by Anne-Cecile Souhaid, Practice Manager for Western and Central Africa, accompanied by senior Transport Specialist Tojoarofenitra Ramanankirahina and Emmanuel K. Baker, Program Manager, met with the Manager of the National Road Fund of Liberia (NRF), Mrs. Joseta Neufville-Wento, along with her senior management team, John H. Tokpah, Albert K. Samukai, and Prince Nimord, Chief Administrative Officer, Chief Program Officer, and Chief Engineer Officer respectively. The hour-and-a-half-long meeting focused on the NRF’s operations and its effectiveness in financing road infrastructure.
Anne-Cecile Souhaid, who serves as a Lead Transport Specialist at the World Bank, is particularly responsible for West and Central Africa, where she coordinates donor platforms and expert consultations to facilitate reconstruction and development efforts in fragile countries. Her responsibilities encompass overseeing projects that promote regional integration, urban transportation, and spatial development. In this capacity, she is instrumental in ensuring that infrastructure projects align with broader economic and social goals and led the discussions. She expressed the importance of data-driven financing projects and the governance impact of the NRF in terms of transitioning from government control to a more independent institution.
During the meeting, the NRF Manager provided an overview of the NRF’s operations, including the technical audits designed to ensure the efficient use of funds and the NRF Mentorship Program and its impact on training young Liberian professionals especially engineers. Furthermore, the discussions included the NRF’s hiring of a lawyer with funding from the African Development Bank to review the NRF’s Act. The meeting also addressed the development of a Toll Policy and axle load regulations in cooperation with the Ministry of Transport. Mrs. Wento, the NRF Manager, made an earnest appeal to the World Bank for continued support, particularly regarding the continuation of services of the legal counselor and capacity-building for the effective operation of the Sage 300 financial software and logistics. She noted that the NRF has invited road fund managers from Sierra Leone and Namibia in April of this year to learn from their experiences and incorporate best practices into Liberia’s context.
In response, Anne-Cecile Souhaid commended the NRF management and reaffirmed the World Bank’s commitment to supporting the NRF in the priority areas requested by the NRF manager, specifically through the Sage 300 system, which will enhance financial management and operational efficiency. Souhaid also assured the NRF of the continuation of legal services to expedite the completion of the NRF Act, which is critical for its governance and operational framework.
