Your Excellency, President of the Republic of Liberia,
Mr. President of the ECOWAS Commission,
Mr. Minister of Finance and Development,
Ministers of the member countries of AFERA, Ministers and members of the Government,
Mr. President of AFERA ARMFA,
Ladies and Gentlemen, Representatives of Technical and Financial Partners,
Mr. Executive Secretary of AFERA,
Ladies and Gentlemen, Representatives of African Road Maintenance Funds,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is a great honor and a truly moving experience for me to speak on behalf of the Liberian National Road Fund and to extend a warm welcome to all the African and international delegations participating in this Twenty Second AFERA ARMFA General Assembly.
Liberia is honored to host this major continental event dedicated to a theme essential to the development of our continent:
“Innovative financing and sustainability of road infrastructure in the face of climate and mobility challenges in Africa.”
This theme reflects a shared conviction. The road is not just a means of transport; it is the engine of development, unity, and African resilience.
Distinguished Guests,
Monrovia, our capital, is proud to welcome this large African family of Road Maintenance Funds. A city of history and rebirth, Monrovia symbolizes African fraternity, reconstruction, and solidarity.
It is here that Liberia has been working for several decades to strengthen its road network in order to open up isolated regions, stimulate trade, and connect citizens.
It is therefore with a profound sense of African unity that we open our doors, our hearts, and our roads to you.
Allow me to pay special tribute to His Excellency the President of the Republic of Liberia for his strategic vision of national development, based on three essential pillars: unity, infrastructure, and inclusive growth.
Under his leadership, and through the competent and committed actions of the Ministries responsible for Finance, Public Works, and Transport, the government has made the rehabilitation, construction, and maintenance of roads a national priority. Thank you, Your Excellency, Mr. President, for this enlightened vision.
Today, large scale programs have been launched to:
- Rehabilitate more than one thousand kilometers of main and secondary roads;
- Modernize regional integration corridors connecting Monrovia to Freetown, Abidjan, and Conakry;
- Strengthen governance and transparency in the management of road maintenance funding.
The National Road Fund is proud to be an essential instrument of this public policy, reflecting the commitment of the Head of State to providing Liberia with a reliable, sustainable, and integrated road network.
Distinguished Ministers and dear participants,
Created to ensure the sustainability of road maintenance funding, the Liberia National Road Fund is an exemplary public institution in terms of governance and financial transparency.
Under the guidance of the government and in close coordination with the Ministries of Finance and Public Works, the Fund and its stakeholders have undertaken several structural reforms:
- The digitalization of mechanisms for collecting royalties and taxes;
- The adoption of a multi year planning framework for maintenance of the priority network;
- The gradual integration of environmental and climate criteria into maintenance projects;
- The strengthening of public private partnerships for the maintenance and sustainability of infrastructure.
Through these reforms, the National Road Fund contributes actively to national connectivity, the promotion of economic mobility, and the creation of sustainable jobs.
Distinguished guests and dear participants,
The theme of this Assembly, “Innovative financing and sustainability of road infrastructure in the face of climate and mobility challenges,” resonates deeply with our context.
Africa today faces a dual challenge: to improve financing and to maintain infrastructure sustainably.
The continent invests nearly forty-five billion United States dollars annually in infrastructure, yet maintenance needs still exceed fifteen billion United States dollars. This is why innovation is essential through:
- Diversification of funding sources, particularly through green taxation, public private partnerships, and climate bonds;
- Mobilization of internal resources supported by digitalization;
- Strengthening of good governance, which is the cornerstone of trust between states, partners, and citizens.
Dear partners and distinguished guests,
I warmly welcome the continental reference study on Road Maintenance Funds, conducted by AFERA in partnership with SSATP with funding from the European Union.
Covering fifteen African AFERA member countries as well as Morocco and Tunisia, this study will enable us to assess institutional and financial maturity, identify good practices, and prepare the new generation of African Road Maintenance Funds.
Its results will guide national reforms and support the harmonization of road financing policies on a continental scale.
Distinguished guests,
As you can see, this dynamic offers promising prospects for Africa’s transport and road sector.
I express my sincere thanks to all sponsors and partners who made it possible to host this General Assembly here in Monrovia.
Our gratitude goes to the Liberian government, the ministers and government representatives present, and to the following institutions and partners:
• The African Union
• ECOWAS
• The African Development Bank
• The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa
• The European Union
• SSATP
• PIARC
• The International Road Federation
• Private sector partners in construction, logistics, and road services
Your technical, financial, and institutional support reflects your faith in Africa’s potential and your commitment to the sustainability of the continent’s infrastructure. Liberia, through its National Road Fund, expresses its deepest gratitude.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
In Africa, roads are not simply engineering works. They are lifelines of exchange and connection between our people and our economies.
This is why cooperation between Road Maintenance Funds, sectoral ministries, the private sector, and donors forms the heart of sustainable development.
AFERA, through its vision and dynamism, offers a unique framework for exchange, innovation, and solidarity to strengthen our collective capacity to meet the challenges of financing, governance, and sustainability.
Through our joint efforts, we are building:
• An Africa of sustainable roads;
• An Africa that maintains before rebuilding;
• An Africa that innovates before depending;
• An Africa that connects before dividing.
The Liberia National Road Fund stands firmly with AFERA, committed to advancing the vision of a connected, resilient, and prosperous Africa in line with the African Union’s Agenda 2063, “The Africa We Want.”
Your Excellency Mr. President,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
On behalf of the Liberia National Road Fund, I extend the warmest welcome to Monrovia, a land of history, courage, and hospitality.
May this Twenty Second General Assembly be a moment of fruitful reflection, African fraternity, and lasting commitment. May a renewed momentum for transforming road financing and sustainability in Africa emerge from Monrovia.
Welcome to Liberia, the African capital of sustainable roads.
Welcome to an Africa moving forward on solid paths and shared visions.
Thank you.