The World Bank Group on Thursday launched a five-year Country Partnership Framework with Liberia designed to accelerate job creation, expand energy access and attract private investment as part of the government’s new ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development.
Delivering remarks at the CPF launch, WBG Liberia Country Manager Georgia Wallen said the 2025–2029 program will have a single organizing goal — “building foundations for more and better jobs” and will align support behind Liberia’s drive to reach Vision 2030.
The CPF will concentrate results in four outcome areas: reducing learning poverty, increasing energy access, promoting transparent and accountable governance, and boosting private investment, including in agro-industry and sustainable forest economies. The program will mainstream climate, fiscal and social resilience and target youth and women.
“The AAID is the last leg of the race to Vision 2030,” Wallen said, noting government commitment at a recent Cabinet meeting to identify and remove constraints to employment, especially for young people. Wallen also highlighted that the CPF was developed through broad consultations with government, development partners, private sector actors, youth and academia.
IFC regional director Nathalie Kouassi Akon emphasized the private sector’s central role in delivering jobs, noting that across Africa nearly 90% of employment is created by private enterprise.
She said IFC will use its tools to mobilize private capital, derisk investments and support businesses across value chains. IFC will also plug Liberia into global WBG initiatives such as Mission 300 — an effort to extend energy access to 300 million people by 2030 and Agri Connect, which aims to scale agribusiness and create jobs along agricultural value chains.
Liberia is among the first 12 countries to conclude a compact under the Mission 300 initiative.
The CPF is positioned to support the AAID’s ambitions — including an indicative objective to lift per capita incomes toward roughly $1,000 by targeting sectors expected to generate employment at scale: agriculture, manufacturing, infrastructure, digital services and tourism.
Both speakers underscored the demographic opportunity in Liberia, where about 57% of the population is of working age, and warned that the dividend will only materialize if more and better jobs are created.
The launch also tied the development agenda to broader social priorities. Kouassi Akon highlighted the importance of women’s safety and inclusion — noting the timing amid the 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence and linked gains in gender equality to economic participation and productivity.
Implications for investors and the business community
Infrastructure and energy investments under Mission 300 and related CPF commitments are expected to improve reliability for firms and could reduce operating costs for industries and MSMEs.
IFC’s stated focus on derisking projects and mobilizing private capital signals potential for blended finance and guarantee instruments to support new investments in agribusiness, energy and digital services.
Emphasis on governance, regulatory predictability and an SME accelerator points to policy reforms intended to raise investor confidence and expand access to finance for small and medium businesses.
