In remarks at the groundbreaking ceremony on Saturday, May 23, 2026, the Liberian Leader stressed the strategic importance of this stretch of road. "Where this project is,” he noted, it is going to serve not just the people of Lofa,” pointing out, “We have predominantly people with interwoven cultures, commercial interest, and ethnic identities.
The President seized the moment to particularly rain praises on the Ministry of Public Works for its profound display of courage and hard work.
President Boakai recalled that initially the Ministry appeared to have been beset by hesitation and lapses, but that it was able to effect a dramatic turnaround in this approach. He urged Minister Lafayette Roland Giddings and his Team at the Ministry to sustain this momentum to ensure prompt and effective execution of this project.
The Liberian Chief Executive also lauded his Sierra Leonean counterpart, His Excellency Julius Maada Bio, for the collaborative effort in strengthening bilateral and regional cooperation.
Addressing Liberians in general, President Boakai called on his compatriots to put aside divisive politics and focus on the nation’s development agendas, which seek to advance infrastructure expansion, human capital advancement, and creation of opportunities for the younger and future generations.
"To those fighting,” the President reminded Liberians, “it is Liberia that matters most, as we need development to open up every part of this country to create opportunities for the younger and next generations to come."
President Boakai made the call on Saturday, May 23, 2026, at the official groundbreaking ceremony for the Mendicorma to Voinjama highway pavement project, which is expected to improve connectivity, enhance trade, and boost economic activities within Lofa County and in neighboring communities along the confluence of Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea.
Initiating the project, which also forms part of his broader infrastructure development agenda, the Liberian Leader averred that there is nowhere else called Liberia that we know as ours. As such, he urged that Liberians work together to make the homeland better, lifting it to the noble standard at which it ought to be.
"Let all of us work together to make this country better, as this is where God has given us. We must take responsibility to develop it,” the President said.
Further, President Boakai predicted that the Mendicorma to Voinjama highway pavement will serve as a booster of the regional economy of the Mano River Union countries, given the project's close proximity to Guinea and Sierra Leone.
President Boakai also lauded His Excellency Julius Maada Bio, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, for the collaborative effort in strengthening regional cooperation.
A lineup of several high-level government officials, eminent personalities, foreign diplomats, traditional chiefs and elders, private sector stakeholders, and regional partners spoke at the occasion, hailing the undertaking as historic and portending impactful benefits to Liberia and the region.
Some of those delivering supportive statements were Local Government, Minister Francis Sakila Nyumalin, Public Works Minister Lafayette R. Giddings, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Thomas P. Fallah, a Representative of His Excellency the Ambassador of Sierra Leone Eddie S. Massally, Lofa Legislative Caucus Chairman Cllr. Joseph K Jallah, as well as Mr. Alimou Sami Barrie, CEO of Pavifort Associates, the construction company.
