Friday, August 22, marked the official kickoff of the Liberian government’s Tourism Development Projects under the ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development (AAID) FY2025, signaling a bold step toward revitalizing the country’s tourism sector and creating new economic opportunities.
The Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs, and Tourism (MICAT), through the PSIP budgetary appropriation, launched several milestone tourism projects over the weekend, which were symbolically handed to the Liberia Renaissance Group (LRG)–formerly the Liberia Renaissance Construction Company (LRCC)–at Providence Island, Monrovia, Montserrado County.
In outlining the significance of the initiatives, MICAT’s Assistant Minister for Tourism in charge of projects, Atty. Dogba K. Norris, Jr., said the handover reflects the government’s commitment to achieving the key targets under AAID Program 12 related to tourism development.
“The handover today is a testament to the government’s sincere approach to actualizing the key targets under AAID’s program 12, relating to tourism development in Liberia,” said Assistant Minister Norris.
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He added that the government’s PSIP tourism interventions are designed to jumpstart tourism development and transform the lives of ordinary Liberians. The initiatives aim to establish new ecotourism attractions including Masanti Island within Lake Piso in Grand Cape Mount County, Sappimah Waterfall (known as “the Curtain”) in Gbarpolu County, and Sayougar Waterfall located between Bong and Grand Bassa counties.
Assistant Minister Norris thanked President Joseph N. Boakai for his trust in MICAT, led by Minister Jerolinmek Matthew Piah, noting that one of the major components of the initiative is to establish at least 15 new ecotourism sites in Liberia by 2029.
He emphasized that feasibility studies would guide project design and cost planning, helping attract investment to the targeted areas. Norris further revealed that 20 additional natural heritage sites–rivers, waterfalls, lakes, islands, mountains, and forests–have been identified for potential tourism development. Once completed, these projects are estimated to create at least 500 jobs in Liberia’s tourism sector.
Phase Two of the program will focus on rehabilitating and operationalizing existing heritage sites, including Historic Providence Island, the J.J. Roberts Monument, and the historic heritage city of Edina. Some key tourism landscapes and facilities have already been handed over to LRG to begin development.
Minister Norris highlighted that President Boakai’s commitment to tourism development has been reinforced by the establishment of the Liberia National Tourism Authority and the appointment of Ambassador Christopher Hayes Onanuga as Chairperson.
Monrovia City Mayor John Charuk Siaffa praised the national government for enhancing the value of Monrovia through heritage site development. He recalled Providence Island as a historic site where Liberia’s founding settlers engaged with indigenous people, emphasizing the potential for revenue generation through tourism, as seen in other African countries like Ghana and Senegal.
LRG CEO George Delino Bryant thanked MICAT and Minister Piah, pledging that his team would complete every milestone under the project. He revealed that the company has already employed 15 skilled personnel, including accountants, project managers, HR staff, business development specialists, civil engineers, geospatial technicians, and others.
Bryant also noted that upcoming site visits to Bong, Grand Cape Mount, and Gbarpolu counties will require additional unskilled labor, bringing the total workforce to about 50 people–supporting the government’s agenda for education, human capital development, and alternative livelihoods.
Assistant Minister for Administration Henrietta Berrian said the administrative team is fully committed to supporting tourism development, highlighting quick-win initiatives such as rehabilitating Providence Island’s theatre to revive Liberian traditions and culture.
MICAT’s Deputy Minister for Culture and Tourism, Madam Kadiatu Konteh-Brohiri, who led the ministry’s team for the turnover in the absence of the Minister, encouraged LRG to take the projects seriously, noting that these are baby steps in a long-term effort to build Liberia’s tourism sector.
The current tourism development projects fall under Pillar Six (Economic Transformation) of the AAID Program 12, part of the administration’s five-year strategy to attract foreign direct investment, increase inbound tourism, preserve cultural heritage, and improve the quality of life for ordinary Liberians.
