Liberia: AfDB Pledges Infrastructure Support as Minister Ngafuan Leads Constituency 15 Talks in Bangkok

BANGKOK, Thailand — African Development Bank (AfDB) Group President Dr. Sidi Ould Tah on Tuesday pledged continued support for roads, energy, agriculture and other key sectors after meeting ministers of AfDB Constituency 15 at the IMF/World Bank Annual Meetings.

The delegation was led by constituency chair Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan, Liberia’s Minister of Finance and Development Planning. He was joined by fellow constituency ministers Seedy K.M. Keita of The Gambia, Karefa Ansumana Francis Kargbo of Sierra Leone and Dr. Jibril Ibrahim of Sudan. Constituency 15 comprises Liberia, The Gambia, Ghana, Sierra Leone and Sudan.

Dr. Ould Tah thanked the ministers for their support and commended their efforts to strengthen their economies, naming Liberia as one of the top performers. He noted that Constituency 15 was the first to contribute to the AfDB Fund, with Liberia committing US$3 million. He also said the Bank under his leadership is pursuing initiatives to expand the Bank’s lending to African countries by raising more funds on capital markets.

Speaking earlier, Liberia’s Minister of Finance and Constituency Chair Ngafuan commended Dr. Ould Tah’s first year of leadership, citing his efforts to cut bureaucratic delays, strengthen member countries’ representation and expand infrastructure investment.

The Minister also briefed the President on Liberia’s economic progress, noting that growth rose to 5.1 percent in 2025 from 4.0 percent in 2024 and is projected at 5.5 percent in 2026. He added that Inflation has fallen from 12.5 percent in early 2025 to 4.3 percent at end-September 2026 and that the debt-to-GDP ratio declined from 55.6 percent in 2024 to 54.1 percent in 2025 and is projected to reach 49.6 percent in 2026. Liberia also exceeded its IMF fiscal target in 2025.

Minister Ngafuan highlighted three AfDB-supported projects central to sustaining this momentum. The first is the Domestic Resource Mobilization (DRM) project, is expected to strengthen revenue collection so Liberia can capture more value from mining, its main growth engine, and fund more of its own development with less borrowing.

The second is the Youth Entrepreneurship Investment Bank (YEIB). Launched in July 2025, it made Liberia the first African country to operationalize the AfDB’s youth investment bank model. The YEIB will also provide finance, mentorship and skills, and aims to create up to 120,000 jobs.

The third is the Cavalla River Bridge, a 288-metre crossing to Côte d’Ivoire under the Mano River Union Road programme. The bridge will replace unsafe ferry and canoe crossings, cut transport costs and boost regional trade. Minister Ngafuan noted construction delays and urged all parties to keep the project on track for completion in March 2028.