Liberia Launches EXCEL Project to Tackle Learning Poverty

Monrovia, Liberia - The Government of Liberia has officially launched the Excellence in Learning in Liberia (EXCEL) Project, a five-year national education reform program aimed at reducing learning poverty and strengthening foundational skills in the early grades. At the launch, Finance and Development Planning Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan reaffirmed the government’s commitment to disciplined financing and timely project execution.

Speaking at the ceremony in Monrovia, Minister Ngafuan described the EXCEL Project as part of a broader wave of development initiatives being rolled out under the leadership of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, noting that the administration is prioritizing credibility, results, and responsible financial management across all sectors.

He recalled the President’s pledge to transform Liberia by “lighting the candle rather than cursing the darkness,” a philosophy he said is guiding current governance reforms.

Minister Ngafuan stressed that the government is mobilizing strong international support while ensuring that Liberia meets its counterpart funding and debt obligations. He stressed that timely government contributions are critical to avoiding project delays and unnecessary commitment fees, challenges that have undermined past development programs.

The EXCEL Project is jointly financed by the Government of Liberia, the World Bank, and the Global Partnership for Education (GPE). It is aligned with the national Education Sector Plan and the ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development, with a strong focus on improving literacy and numeracy outcomes in the early grades, strengthening teacher support, improving learning materials, and enhancing system-wide accountability.

Placing the initiative within a wider financing “panorama,” Minister Ngafuan highlighted ongoing  investments in education, infrastructure, agriculture, and human capital development. 

He disclosed that over US$80 million has been mobilized for the construction of the Konia–Voinjama Road, in addition to a wave of development gains recorded by the administration in recent days.

The road, he said, will impact a broad cross-section of the country, while additional large-scale projects including support for agricultural value chains and special processing zones are advancing with development partners.

The minister further emphasized that Liberia’s renewed credibility with international partners has enabled the country to secure significant commitments, including nearly US$500 million under the World Bank’s new Country Partnership Framework and progress toward a second Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Compact.

Earlier, Education Minister Dr. Jarso Jallah outlined the core objectives of the EXCEL Project, describing it as a shift from measuring success by school enrollment alone to assessing what children can actually read, write, and understand.

“Access has outpaced mastery,” Dr. Jallah said, noting that too many Liberian children advance through school without acquiring basic literacy and numeracy skills.

She stressed that EXCEL will prioritize structured teacher support, aligned instructional materials, improved supervision, and the systematic use of learning data to drive results. The project, she added, will be judged not by the strength of its launch, but by measurable improvements in reading outcomes and reduced disparities among counties.

The launch brought together senior government officials, members of the Legislature, county superintendents, development partners, civil society actors, and members of the media, signaling broad national ownership of the reform agenda.

Implementation of the EXCEL Project begins immediately and will run through 2030, with education authorities pledging increased accountability starting in 2026 as learning outcomes are closely monitored nationwide.