Monrovia — The National Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) Commission has officially launched its five-year Strategic Development Plan (2026–2030) aimed at improving access to safe, affordable, and sustainable WASH services nationwide.
By J.H. Webster Clayeh, [email protected]
The Commission was established through an Act of the Legislature in 2012, began partial operations in 2017, and became fully functional in 2018.
The newly launched plan aligns with the ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development (AAID), Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 and Liberia’s Vision 2030 framework.
It outlines major goals such as Strengthening sector coordination and technical capacity, Expanding public and private partnerships, Establishing a national WASH data and monitoring system, Constructing a national water quality laboratory, and Advancing the national Open Defecation Free (ODF) campaign.
Public Works Minister Roland Layfette Giddings, who serves as Chairman of the WASH Commission Board, was absent from the launch ceremony. Representing him, Assistant Minister for Community Services, Albert Toukolon, described the plan as a milestone toward improving public health and national development.
“Today marks a defining moment in Liberia’s journey toward universal access to safe, affordable, and climate-resilient WASH services,” Assistant Minister Toukolon said. “This Strategic Plan is not simply a guiding document — it is a national commitment rooted in evidence, policy alignment, and the collective aspirations of our people.”
He added that the plan supports Liberia’s national priorities under AAID, emphasizing that WASH is indispensable to health, education, productivity, and environmental sustainability.
Quoting Minister Giddings, Assistant Minister Toukolon stressed that water and sanitation should not be viewed as optional development areas.
“Water and sanitation are essential pillars of human dignity and national development. This plan responds to the urgent need for a coordinated, accountable, and data-driven WASH sector,” he quoted.
Also speaking, George Yarngo, Chief Executive Officer of the National WASH Commission, described the document as a national roadmap designed to build resilience, improve service delivery, and strengthen regulation across the sector.
“This document is more than just a plan — it is a national commitment,” Mr. Yarngo emphasized, reaffirming the Commission’s mandate guided by values of accountability, innovation, collaboration, integrity, equality, and quality service delivery.
He disclosed that the implementation will occur in three phases: Consolidation (2026–2027), Expansion (2028–2029), and Sustainability by 2030.
Delivering remarks on behalf of UNICEF Country Representative Andry Brooks, UNICEF Deputy Representative Amadou Alassane Cissé hailed the launch as a landmark achievement.
“This Strategic Plan reflects strong national leadership and commitment to ensuring safe water, sanitation, and hygiene for all. UNICEF remains fully committed to strengthening collaboration with government, civil society, partners, and communities,” he said.
Providing an overview of the plan, Executive Director Morris G. Gono, Jr. highlighted significant national challenges, including limited access to safe drinking water and sanitation.
“With 34% of Liberians practicing open defecation and 21% lacking access to basic drinking water, the Plan introduces innovation and climate-smart solutions across five major focus areas: institutional capacity, coordination, financing, data systems, and resilient service delivery,” Mr. Gono explained.
The WASH Commission and its partners say implementation of the plan will strengthen Liberia’s sanitation infrastructure, promote health education, and pave the way toward national ODF certification and universal access to safe water and hygiene services by 2030.
Support Independent Journalism
Your support helps FrontPage Africa continue delivering independent, credible, and impactful journalism. Every contribution strengthens our ability to investigate, inform, and hold power accountable while keeping quality journalism accessible to our readers.
Support our journalism or subscribe to receive the latest FrontPage Africa stories and updates.
