Monrovia โ Liberia’s Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan, delivering a passionate address at the Liberia Technology Summit 2025 today at the EJS Ministerial Complex, emphasized the urgent need for the nation to embrace innovation and “leapfrog” in the global technology race.
Minister Ngafuan commenced his speech by highlighting the critical importance of innovation in an ever-evolving world, stating, “if you don’t innovate, you will evaporate, and we cannot fight today’s battles with yesterday’s weapons.” He acknowledged that Liberia is “already behind in the technology race” but asserted that the country “cannot afford and cannot be comfortable to be behind.” Instead, he urged a rapid acceleration, declaring, “we have to leapfrog, we have to sprint.”
Despite the foundational challenges Liberia faces and the rapid advancements in areas like Artificial Intelligence (AI) globally, Minister Ngafuan encouraged attendees to “start to dream big dreams. Think Big, and act big.” He drew a parallel to President Kennedy’s ambitious goal of a moon landing, suggesting that what might seem “crazy” today could be the catalyst for rapid progress. “We need to start to talk to crazy things,” he added.
The Minister underscored the government’s recognition that many of its current challenges can only be resolved through technology. He cited the ongoing deployment of technology in revenue mobilization by the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) as a key measure to address economic shocks experienced in the first quarter of the year.
A significant initiative mentioned was the recently launched $30 million GREAT Project with the World Bank, aimed at improving government accountability and transformation through the digitization of processes in key ministries and agencies. Minister Ngafuan affirmed the Ministry of Finance’s own digitization efforts, emphasizing that “efficiency will cut processing time,” leading to quicker government revenue generation and increased capacity to serve the populace.
He also highlighted efforts to reduce turnaround time at the port, crediting the Managing Director and others. The Minister revealed plans for port operations to extend into the night, all of which would be “enabled by technology.” He specifically mentioned the development of a Central Payment System (CPS) with the World Bank, which would allow citizens to pay for services remotely, “without going physically at the port and can do it anytime and anywhere.”
Minister Ngafuan positioned technology as the “pillar of all the pillars” within the government’s “ARREST agenda,” acknowledging its foundational role in achieving national goals. He called for a review of the nation’s ICT policy and emphasized the importance of addressing cybersecurity challenges.
Looking at the technology sector from a financial perspective, Minister Ngafuan stated, “everyone gives us hell on the expenditure side. Money for service delivery, we look at others on the revenue side, you are the ones that I look at to help us to deal with the pressure, in a pinpoint talk to the Minister of Post and Telecommunication.” He commended the Ministry of Post and Telecommunication for its initiative in developing a postal address system, which he described as “very good for this country,” improving security and enabling better enumeration.
The MFDP Minister pledged the Ministry of Finance’s support for technology programs within budgetary flexibilities. He announced that, though, budget preparation for 2026 began last week, but a “deep dive conversation” with sectoral leaders from LTA, LIBTELCO, Ministry of Post and Telecommunication, LRA, and others, to identify areas for “transformative resources” and understand their challenges.
Concluding his address, Minister Ngafuan reiterated his gratitude for the summit and the Ministry of Finance’s commitment to supporting the technology sector. He invoked former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s quote, “if your dream does not scare you, is not big enough,” urging attendees to “dream big dream, big stuff. After dreaming, you have to wake up and work big.” He assured that the Ministry would coordinate effectively with the relevant institutions in the ICT sector and do its part to enable success in the technology sector.
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