Liberia: Joseph Boakai, a presidency marked by rigor and transformation
Since his accession to the supreme office of Liberia in January 2024, President Joseph Nyuma Boakai has embarked on a transformative dynamic that intends to put governance, public accountability and inclusive development back at the heart of the State’s action. Through his ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development, officially launched in January 2025, the Head of State has set a new roadmap to modernize infrastructure, stimulate the economy and improve the living conditions of the population.
One of the most notable aspects of his leadership remains his determination to strengthen discipline and transparency in public management. His administration took particularly strong action regarding the asset declaration obligations of public officials, going so far as to suspend more than 450 senior officials who had not complied with these requirements. Through this approach, President Joseph Boakai wants to recall that the exercise of public responsibility implies first and foremost a duty of exemplarity and accountability.
The Head of State also distinguished himself by his desire to advance justice and the fight against impunity. In 2026, he renewed the mandate of the Office to prepare mechanisms on war crimes and economic crimes, before advancing plans to establish a National Anti-Corruption Court and a War Crimes and Economic Crimes Court. This initiative is an important turning point for a country marked by a painful history and reflects a desire to consolidate the rule of law in the long term.
On the economic front, President Joseph Boakai’s vision is also based on the need to build a more inclusive and resilient economy. The ARREST Agenda aims to give a central place to agriculture, infrastructure, education, health, governance and innovation. This strategy is starting to show encouraging signs: according to the World Bank, the Liberian economy grew by 5.1% in 2025, driven by the rebound in the mining sector as well as by services and agriculture.
Beyond the figures and institutional reforms, Joseph Boakai defends a conception of power based on the reconstruction of trust between the State and citizens. Its commitment to modernizing the administration, strengthening mechanisms to combat illicit financial flows, and improving governance reflects a clear ambition: to make Liberia a stronger, more accountable state, and more capable of turning its resources into opportunities for its people. In April 2026, it approved the National Strategic Plan 2024-2028 dedicated to the fight against money laundering, terrorist financing and illicit financial flows.
Thus, President Joseph Boakai appears to be a leader who intends to inscribe his mandate in the long term rather than in the effect of announcements. Its method is based on rigor, institutional reform, the empowerment of leaders and the search for more inclusive development.
In a Liberia that aspires to definitively turn the page on the difficulties of the past, this desire for institutional and economic reconstruction deserves to be welcomed as a courageous step towards a more stable, prosperous and confident future.
TheHatLady