[Monrovia, Liberia – May 12, 2025] – On a significant three-day visit to Liberia, His Excellency Hailemariam Desalegn Boshe, Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), called on the Liberian government to demonstrate its commitment to agricultural transformation by allocating at least 10% of the national budget to the sector in line with the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) targets.
AGRA, an African-led and African-based institution dedicated to advancing agricultural transformation across the continent, is in Liberia to strengthen partnerships and support the development of a comprehensive Legacy Program—a national roadmap to increase food production, generate employment, and attract investment.
During a high-level meeting with officials of the Ministry of Agriculture, Mr. Boshe, joined by a technical team including AGRA Vice President for Technical Expertise Jonathan Said, emphasized that budgetary support is a key indicator of political will and a prerequisite for unlocking international support and private sector investment in agriculture.
“If Liberia wants to transform agriculture, the commitment must be reflected in the national budget,” said Mr. Boshe. “Kampala CAADP sets a minimum benchmark of 10% budget allocation to agriculture. It is a clear signal to development partners and investors that Liberia is ready to lead its own transformation.”
Since March 2025, AGRA has worked closely with the Ministry of Agriculture and key partners to design Liberia’s Legacy Program—a flagship initiative targeting six critical value chains: rice, cassava, maize, coffee, oil palm, and rubber. The program seeks to modernize agriculture, enhance productivity, and unlock private investment.
This support follows AGRA’s success in launching Tanzania’s legacy program in 2023, which attracted significant investments and prompted countries such as Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Côte d'Ivoire, and Zambia to pursue similar partnerships in 2024. Liberia now joins this momentum to leverage AGRA’s expertise in attracting growth within targeted value chains. It will unveil its legacy program, at the annual Africa Food Systems Forum in Dakar, Senegal, from August 31 to September 5, 2025, with the aim of scaling up agricultural value chains and positioning Liberia for long-term food security.
Drawing on his experience as former Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Mr. Boshe highlighted the link between budgetary investment and tangible results:
“My country, Ethiopia, was a case of famine and food insecurity.  The global media portrayed Ethiopia as a starving child, a country that could not come out of food insecurity. Today, Ethiopia is a net exporting
country. This shift happened because we backed our policies with resources, built institutions, and focused on implementation. Policies alone do not deliver results.”
He also stressed that real change requires a whole-of-government approach and a shift in national mindset:
“Agriculture is not the responsibility of one ministry alone. It must be treated as a national priority. And we must move away from subsistence thinking to systems that build resilience, productivity, and sustainability.”
In a gesture of partnership, Mr. Boshe pledged that Ethiopia, one of the world’s leading coffee producers, would support Liberia in elevating its unique “Coffee Liberica” to the global market: “We can help as a country bring your Coffee Liberica to the global stage. We can show how we reached that level, quality assurance, and everything else we need to make it happen,” he said.
Agriculture Minister Dr. J. Alexander Nuetah welcomed the AGRA delegation and reiterated the call for more substantial investment:
“I am very happy to hear your message, Your Excellency. Let the President hear it. This is the battle that we have here. This is what we have been fighting for. Donor support is not a substitute for government support. We have to show our seriousness about agriculture.”
The visit by AGRA’s leadership is a boost to Liberia’s drive to transform its agricultural sector and secure a sustainable future for its people.