By: George Cooper
Liberia has reported a record US$31 million in revenue generated by the National Road Fund (NRF) as the country opened the 22nd General Assembly of the African Road Maintenance Funds Association (ARMFA) in Monrovia.
NRF Manager Joseta Neufville Wento described the achievement as the highest annual revenue in the fund’s history, reflecting Liberia’s renewed commitment to road development, accountability and transparency.
Welcoming African and international delegates, Ms. Wento said Liberia was honoured to host this year’s assembly, which focuses on innovative financing and the sustainability of road infrastructure amid climate and mobility challenges. She called roads the “engine of development, unity and African resilience,” noting that Monrovia stands as a symbol of fraternity, reconstruction and solidarity.
Ms. Wento credited President Joseph Boakai’s national development agenda—centered on unity, infrastructure and inclusive growth—for accelerating progress in the road sector. She referenced ongoing efforts to rehabilitate over 1,000 kilometres of primary and secondary roads and Liberia’s push to strengthen regional connectivity with Freetown, Abidjan and Conakry. She noted that in 2023 the NRF generated US$14 million in six months before reaching the unprecedented US$31 million in 2024 under reformed governance systems.
Delegates were introduced to the NRF’s new public dashboard, which provides real-time data on road projects, costs and locations. Ms. Wento said the tool will improve transparency and guide decision-making as the fund diversifies its financing sources. She also highlighted two mechanisms developed with the Ministry of Transport, including an axle-load control pilot that generated US$70,000 in four months. She added that all NRF revenue now goes directly into an escrow account following recent cabinet directives.
The assembly also received a continental reference study on African road funds conducted by ARMFA in partnership with SSATP and supported by the European Union. Covering 15 African countries along with Morocco and Tunisia, the study aims to guide the development of next-generation models for road maintenance financing.
Delegates from Mali, Guinea, Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique, Lesotho and the Democratic Republic of the Congo joined ARMFA President Essaie Moussa Aubin at the gathering. Ms. Wento closed by emphasising that roads remain the “lifelines of exchange and connection” for Africa’s economies and people.
