Africa-Press – Liberia. The long-delayed Gbarnga–Mendikorma Highway, one of Liberia’s most strategic national road corridors linking central Liberia to the country’s northwestern region, is now poised for renewed momentum following high-level financing talks between the Liberian Government and the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID).
The breakthrough engagement brought together Mourad Bouaou, Director of Portfolio Management for the Public Sector at OFID, Minister of Finance and Development Planning Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan, and Minister of Public Works Roland Lafayette Giddings, with discussions centering on sustained financing, accelerated implementation, and expanded funding for the multi-phase highway project.
OFID remains one of the original Arab lenders financing the Gbarnga–Mendikorma Highway, making it a cornerstone donor in one of Liberia’s most ambitious and long-awaited infrastructure programs aimed at transforming transportation, strengthening agriculture, and boosting regional and cross-border trade.
A major focus of the talks was the urgent acceleration of construction works on the Salayea leg of the highway, which has suffered prolonged delays over the years due to financing gaps and technical challenges. The Salayea section is widely regarded as one of the most difficult but most critical stretches of the corridor, serving as a vital link between Bong and Lofa counties and opening access to Liberia’s northern agricultural and commercial belt.
Government officials emphasized that once this segment is completed, it will drastically reduce travel time, lower vehicle maintenance costs, and improve access to markets for farmers. It is also expected to strengthen access to education, healthcare, security services, and emergency response in some of the country’s most underserved rural communities.
Beyond speeding up the current phase of construction, the high-level discussions also focused on mobilizing additional financing from OFID and other Arab development partners to support the next major phase of the project—the Salayea–Konia–Konia–Voinjama leg of the highway. This segment is expected to further enhance Liberia’s internal connectivity and expand trade routes to the Guinean border, significantly strengthening Liberia’s role in regional commerce within the Mano River sub-region.
Attention was also directed to the Voinjama–Mendikorma leg of the highway, which is expected to be financed under the PAVITO Agreement that is currently before the National Legislature for ratification. Once the agreement is approved by lawmakers, full-scale construction on that stretch is expected to commence, paving the way for the full completion of the entire Gbarnga–Mendikorma corridor.
Successive Liberian administrations have described the Gbarnga–Mendikorma Highway as a strategic national development priority, vital to unlocking the full economic potential of Bong and Lofa counties, strengthening national food security, reducing transportation costs, and improving border security and trade facilitation. The road is expected to play a transformative role in agriculture, mining and forestry transport, regional commerce, and overall market integration while also enhancing national security mobility.
For many years, the deplorable condition of the corridor has isolated communities, slowed the movement of goods, discouraged private investment, and increased the cost of living in northern Liberia. The latest donor-level engagement with OFID now signals renewed political will and financial commitment to finally complete a project that many Liberians view as a symbol of long-postponed development.
With OFID reaffirming its role as a core financier, additional Arab funding now being actively pursued, and legislative action awaited on the PAVITO agreement, stakeholders say the Gbarnga–Mendikorma Highway is finally back on a credible fast track after years of stagnation and uncertainty.
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