US$88.7M Financing Targets Digital Learning and Literacy in Liberia’s Schools

By: TPA News Desk | Local Stories | www.thepointafricanews.com/africa

President Joseph Nyuma Boakai has officially launched the Excellence in Learning in Liberia (EXCEL) Project, a nationwide education initiative designed to significantly improve foundational literacy and numeracy among students in Liberia’s public early childhood and primary schools. The launch ceremony was held at the Executive Mansion in Monrovia and marks a major step in the government’s ongoing efforts to strengthen public education through the ARREST Agenda.

The EXCEL Project is being implemented by the Ministry of Education and is backed by a combined $88.7 million in international support. This includes a $60 million concessional credit from the International Development Association (IDA) of the World Bank and a $28.7 million grant from the Global Partnership for Education (GPE). The project is set to reach every public early childhood and primary school in all 15 counties and will directly benefit approximately 362,000 students, teachers, school leaders, and education staff across the country.

President Boakai described the launch as a declaration of his administration’s commitment to children’s learning and national development. “This is not just a project; it is a declaration of our commitment to the children of Liberia,” he stated. “The EXCEL Project is a key pillar in our ARREST Agenda and a direct response to the need for equitable, high-quality education for every Liberian child—especially in our public schools.”

According to the Ministry of Education, the project will provide improved teaching and learning materials to 350,000 students enrolled in early childhood education and Grades 1 to 6. It will also offer intensive training in foundational learning, school management, instructional leadership, and data use to 12,000 teachers and school principals. Furthermore, 14,000 members of school management committees and Ministry of Education staff at both county and central levels are expected to benefit from capacity-building support. The project is designed with a strong emphasis on inclusion, with nearly half of all direct beneficiaries expected to be female, in line with national efforts to promote gender equity in education.

World Bank Country Manager for Liberia, Madam Georgia Wallen, hailed the initiative as historic in both scope and ambition. “EXCEL is the largest education investment the World Bank has ever made in Liberia,” she said. “It reaches every public early childhood and primary school and lays the foundation for real transformation in literacy, numeracy, inclusion, and school leadership.” Wallen added that the initiative aligns with Liberia’s Vision 2030, the ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development, and the World Bank’s own Country Partnership Framework, which prioritizes human capital development.

Dr. Jarso Marley Jallah, Liberia’s Minister of Education, emphasized that the EXCEL Project addresses the country’s long-standing learning crisis by focusing on practical support to classrooms, teachers, and communities. She said the project would strengthen the critical foundation upon which the rest of the education system depends. “EXCEL allows us to tackle Liberia’s learning crisis at its root by investing in classrooms, teachers, and communities,” she stated. “Our goal is to deliver real results, real skills, and real confidence to our students and educators.”

President Boakai has called on the National Legislature to urgently ratify the $60 million IDA credit agreement to ensure full financing and timely implementation of the project. “This is a national effort that touches every county, every classroom, and every child,” he said. “Let us act with urgency to secure this investment for the future of our nation.”

The financing agreement was signed by Honorable Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan, Minister of Finance and Development Planning, on behalf of the Government of Liberia, while Madam Georgia Wallen signed on behalf of the World Bank.