Monrovia – Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor, represented H.E. President George Manneh Weah and Liberia last week in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire at the just-ended Africa Investment Forum (AIF) organized by the African Development Bank (AfDB). 

The three-day event, held from November 2nd to 5th, 2022 in the Ivorian commercial capital, Abidjan, attracted the participation of several African Heads of State and Government. The African leaders chaired boardrooms and led transactions with potential investors. 

They included Vice President Tiémoko Meyliet Koné of Côte d’Ivoire, who represented President Alassane Ouattara.

Others were President Sahle-Work Zewde of Ethiopia; President Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana; President Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe; Vice President Jewel Howard Taylor of Liberia; Vice President Philip Mpango of Tanzania; Prime Minister José Ulisses Correia e Silva n of Cabo Verde; and Prime Minister Patrick Achi of Côte d’Ivoire.

The event according to a dispatch crowded in $31 billion in investor interest in supporting various investment opportunities on the African continent.

During the event, VP Jewel Howard-Taylor remarkably captivated the crowd with her brilliant ideas on Africa’s governance, investments, agriculture, gender, development, and youth issues. 

On the sidelines of the event, VP Jewel Howard-Taylor had bilateral meetings with the Presidents of Ivory Coast and Ghana and other distinguished personalities. 

VP Taylor met with Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank to talk about a wide range of development issues in Liberia. 

Dr. Adesina assured VP Taylor about his commitment to supporting the Government and people of Liberia.

He committed to supporting the Via Dam 800mw energy project in Liberia; gender empowerment issues through the AFAWA (Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa) framework, a pan-African initiative to bridge the $42 billion financing gap facing women in Africa; Youth empowerment issues through the establishment of the Youth Entrepreneurship Investment Bank activities in Liberia.

The ADFDB President also pledged to support the agriculture sector of Liberia to scale up rice production to ensure food self-sufficiency and food security in Liberia to allow Liberia to be a net rice exporting country.

He used the occasion to thank President Weah for his leadership and invited the Liberian leader to the agriculture summit in Senegal scheduled for January 2023.

VP Howard-Taylor then extended greetings on behalf of President Weah and the great people of Liberia and pledged the Country’s support to the Bank’s success.

Nigeria – The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) and United Bank for Africa Plc (UBA) on Wednesday, November 30, 2016, signed a US$150 million loan agreement to finance infrastructure and SME projects, including women-owned enterprises in Nigeria.

“The Fund will support development of productive sectors of the economy; particularly the power sector, Infrastructure, Women owned enterprises as well as SMEs.

This line of credit comes at an opportune time and would boost efforts at reducing the huge power sector-financing deficit that is limiting energy supply and complement our support to medium and small scale enterprises while also promoting gender diversification across the value chain” said Kennedy Uzoka, UBA Group Managing Director/CEO.

UBA, one of the largest commercial banks in Nigeria incorporated in 1961, operates in 19 African countries whilst providing a wide range of products and services.

UBA Nigeria has been the leading financial institution to support various infrastructure projects, particularly power, telecom, transport and also social infrastructure such as hospital and education facilities, and received Social Infrastructure Deal of the Year Award in 2015.

UBA Nigeria operates in each of the country’s 36 states through more than 450 branches supporting 3,700 SMEs across the country.

AfDB has remained UBA’s long-term partner in its financing activities. In 2009, AfDB provided liquidity facilities to deepen its trade finance and other lending activities, thus contributing to key economic sectors of the Nigerian economy, particularly at a time when the economy requires critical funding to stimulate growth and employment.

By leveraging UBA branch network, the Line of Credit will also scale up lending to SMEs and women enterprises in both urban and rural areas to create more jobs and to promote inclusive growth for Nigeria’s economy by stimulating the various sectors such as manufacturing, construction, agriculture, education and services.

Monrovia –   President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf on Monday, May 16, 2016 received a U.S. Government delegation headed by Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Linda Thomas-Greenfield. Assistant Secretary of State Greenfield arrived in Liberia on Sunday, May 15, 2016 for a 3-day official visit to Liberia.

While in Liberia, the visiting American delegation will meet several groupings and individuals including Vice President Joseph Nyumah Boakai, the leaderships of both the Senate and House of Representatives, Representatives of Political parties, amongst others.

According to an Executive Mansion release, President Sirleaf acknowledged that the visit comes at a very important time considering Liberia’s pending economic and political transition, stressing that her government is pleased with the continued support of the American Government.

She reflected on the strong support of the U.S. Government on the Mount Coffee Hydro Plant in particularly and the many other support to various sector of the country’s development agenda.

President Sirleaf also told the delegation about efforts by the African Development Bank to focus support on the agriculture sector with emphasis on manufacturing and value addition.

“The AfDB is very keen and interested in working with our agricultural sector and will for the first time have a full account of all farmers in the country.

The Liberian leader also briefed the American delegation about what she called the “revolutionary Land Reform Policy which is currently before the National legislature, the on-going education reform program, the post-Ebola reform process in the health sector, the UNMIL drawdown process as well as the electioneering and constitution review processes.

“Madam Ambassador, the pending elections in Liberia will be the greatest test to the country peace and democracy. We are committed to ensuring a free, fair, credible and transparent election process because this will be the first in more than 3 decades that a sitting President will transfer power to a successor.

Support for the process is therefore required to support the transition and the Election Commission that has demonstrated the capacity and integrity to conduct credible elections”, President Sirleaf concluded.

For her part, Assistant U.S. Secretary of State for African Affairs, Linda Thomas Greenfield, acknowledged that all were in agreement that it was time for Liberia to handle its own security but with full support from the U.S. and other friendly governments and partners.

She pointed out that she has full confidence that Liberia will continue to move forward and make progress despite the UNMIL drawdown process.

“I am excited about the progress Liberia has made under your leadership and know that the U.S. got your back.

The pending elections in Liberia will tell the country’s readiness to remain peaceful, democratic and progressive. I believe that Liberia’s political leaders have a responsibility to support and respect the process and its outcome.

The actors and leaders must control the conduct of their followers and keep them away from acts of violence”, Ambassador Greenfield indicated.

She further pointed out that Liberians do not need or deserve violence and conflict anymore and their leaders must know it and also reiterated the America’s strong commitment to Liberia, adding that U.S. will make Liberia a success story.

Ambassador Greenfield noted that there is a strong presence of U.S. Health personnel in Liberia particularly from the National Institute of Health (NIH) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and assured that they will work with Liberia to build a resilient healthcare system.

She concluded by committing to resume the US/Liberia Partnership Dialogue which was initiated prior to the outbreak of the Ebola Virus Disease.

In the Liberia’s transitioning period between 2006 to 2008, the US focused on helping Liberia rebuild and demonstrate progress in areas such as Security, Justice, Health, Education, Governance, Infrastructure, Economic activity and Agriculture.