Liberia: President Boakai inaugurates Gbarnga-Salayea road and launches two new road projects in Lofa

Liberia, still marked by the aftermath of the civil wars (1989-2003) that destroyed much of its infrastructure, has been struggling for two decades to open up its rural counties. Lofa County, bordering Guinea and Sierra Leone, remains one of the most isolated in the country, especially during the rainy season. It is against this backdrop that President Joseph Nyuma Boakai Sr. is set to officially dedicate the 81-kilometer Gbarnga-Salayea road, according to the Liberian Observer. The Head of State will be accompanied by senior government officials and international development partners, the source stated without detailing their identities. Boakai is also expected to lay the foundation stone for two new road projects aimed at completing a modern transport network in Lofa County. This infrastructure is expected to facilitate the transport of local agricultural produce to urban markets and improve access to health and education services for rural populations. The announcement is part of the infrastructure strategy of the Boakai government, in office since January 2024. However, the source specifies neither the total cost, nor the identity of the donors, nor the schedule for the two new projects—raising open questions about the financial sustainability of a program in a country whose budget remains dependent on foreign aid and commodity prices.