By Jamesetta D. Williams
President Joseph Nyuma Boakai dedicated the newly completed 81-kilometer Gbarnga–Salayea Road Corridor and officially launched a new phase of road development in Lofa County as the Government of Liberia moves forward with infrastructure projects backed by more than US$122 million in international financing.
The President, accompanied by senior government officials and representatives of the Arab Coordination Group—including the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), the OPEC Fund for International Development, and the Saudi Fund for Development—is expected to preside over the dedication and groundbreaking ceremony at the Bong–Lofa County Border Rest Station near the bridge.
The event will mark the official dedication of the completed Gbarnga–Salayea Road and the groundbreaking for the pavement of the 50-kilometer Salayea–Konia Road and the six-kilometer Zorzor–Yeala Road, projects aimed at improving transportation, enhancing regional connectivity, and accelerating economic development in Lofa County.
The ceremony represents another milestone in the implementation of the Boakai administration’s ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development, which prioritizes investments in infrastructure as a foundation for economic growth and improved public service delivery.
According to the Government, the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, under the leadership of Finance and Development Planning Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan, successfully mobilized US$72.8 million in financing from the OPEC Fund for International Development, BADEA, and the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development to finance the upgrading of the 56-kilometer road corridor, consisting of the 50-kilometer Salayea–Konia Road and the six-kilometer Zorzor–Yeala Road.
The Government has also secured a financing commitment from the Saudi Fund for Development to pave the remaining 64-kilometer Konia–Voinjama Road, a project expected to complete a strategic transport corridor linking communities across Lofa County while improving access to neighboring Guinea.
Construction on the newly approved road projects is expected to begin during the upcoming dry season. Government officials say the projects will create hundreds of direct and indirect jobs while boosting trade, agriculture, investment, and cross-border commerce.
In addition to expanding the country’s road network, the Government has secured US$49.6 million from the Saudi Fund for Development to finance the Botota–Gbarnga–Zorzor Transmission Line and Substation Project, a major electricity initiative expected to expand power access across central and northern Liberia.
Officials say the transmission project will improve electricity supply, stimulate industrial growth, support businesses, and enhance the quality of life for thousands of residents in the region.
Recognizing the need to improve access to essential public services alongside infrastructure development, the Government has also obtained a US$700,000 grant from BADEA to renovate, rehabilitate, and equip the Salayea Clinic and the Konia Health Center. The investment is expected to strengthen healthcare delivery and improve access to quality medical services for communities located along the road corridor.
The Government said the combined investments underscore the Boakai administration’s commitment to delivering modern infrastructure, expanding electricity and healthcare services, creating employment opportunities, and promoting inclusive and sustainable economic growth.
Officials further noted that the financing reflects Liberia’s continued success in mobilizing international development support through strategic partnerships and economic diplomacy aimed at accelerating national development and improving the lives of citizens across the country.
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