Liberia’s economy may be posting impressive numbers, but former Director General of the Liberia Agriculture Commodity Regulatory Authority (LACRA), Dan Saryee, has issued a stark warning: statistics mean little if families remain hungry. In a powerful critique of the nation’s growth narrative, Saryee insists that the true measure of progress is not GDP charts but whether ordinary Liberians can afford food, rent, school fees, and healthcare.
On paper, 2025 was a banner year. Mining surged, agriculture expanded, and services contributed to a strong performance. Yet, beneath the headlines lies a harsher reality.
“Where are the jobs?” Saryee asks, pointing to an employment crisis defined by informality — petty trading, subsistence farming, and hustles that keep families afloat but rarely move them forward. Market women and roadside sellers toil daily, but survival is not the same as prosperity.
Saryee argues that agriculture must evolve from subsistence to enterprise. Cassava and rice, staples of Liberian households, should not only feed families but also fuel industries. “One crop, handled right, can quietly create a dozen jobs along the way,” he explains.
That transformation requires investment in agro‑processing, storage, irrigation, farm‑to‑market roads, and financing. The World Bank has already identified these areas as critical for inclusive growth, but Liberia’s challenge remains turning potential into productivity.
The private sector, dominated by micro‑enterprises, reflects the fragility of the economy. World Bank data shows 86 percent of firms are micro‑sized, with nearly 89 percent being one‑person operations.
For Saryee, the question is not how many businesses exist, but how many grow — from one worker to five, from five to twenty, from twenty to a hundred. He insists government must make it easier for small businesses to access financing, electricity, land, and technology, while tying support to measurable results: production, compliance, and jobs.
The public payroll, he warns, cannot be Liberia’s employment strategy. Instead, government must create conditions for private investment: reliable power, functioning ports, affordable credit, and predictable rules. Electricity is especially urgent. “Businesses cannot compete when power costs more than the product they’re selling,” Saryee cautions.
He outlines five urgent steps: Feed Liberia — expand food production and agro‑processing.
Power businesses — deliver affordable electricity to productive zones.
Finance entrepreneurs — unlock real financing for firms that can grow and hire.
Build market infrastructure — roads, bridges, ports, storage, and digital connectivity.
Measure job creation — make employment and household income the ultimate targets.
Mining revenues, while significant, cannot absorb Liberia’s workforce. Diversification into agriculture, light manufacturing, fisheries, tourism, logistics, and construction is essential. At the same time, Liberia’s youthful population must be equipped with practical skills — welding, plumbing, IT, agribusiness, healthcare support. Training, however, must connect directly to employers and real projects, not just certificates.
Saryee also warns that no plan can succeed if corruption drains public resources. “Every public dollar should be treated as money that could have built a school, fixed a road, backed a farmer, or helped launch a business,” he cautions. Development, he stresses, runs on trust: investors need confidence, entrepreneurs need predictability, and citizens need proof that resources serve the public good.
GDP growth, investment headlines, and government revenue matter, but they are not the finish line. The true measure is whether ordinary Liberians can say: “I can find work. My business can grow. My children can eat. My income is improving. I have hope for tomorrow.”
Liberia has the land, coastline, youthful population, and agricultural potential. What it needs now is decisive action to turn those assets into jobs, income, and stronger households. As Saryee concludes, “The goal isn’t just a bigger economy. It’s stronger households. Because at the end of the day, this was never really about statistics. It’s about putting bread on the table.”
