MONROVIA, LIBERIA-President Joseph Boakai is in Yokohama, Japan, attending the Ninth International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9).
Accompanied by a high-level delegation of cabinet ministers, senior officials, and private sector representatives, the President will participate in the high-profile gathering, set to run from August 20th to 22nd, 2025.
President Boakai’s visit aims to strengthen Liberia’s strategic partnership with development stakeholders, promote investment opportunities, and showcase the country’s growth agenda on a global platform.
During his visit, President Boakai will also attend Expo 2025 in Osaka, where he is expected to hold strategic meetings aimed at promoting Liberia’s development agenda and advancing opportunities for bilateral and multilateral cooperation.
Launched in 1993, TICAD has since evolved into a premier forum co-organized by the Government of Japan, the United Nations, UNDP, African Union Commission, and the World Bank to advance Africa-led development supported by international partnerships.
The 2025 summit, under the theme:” Co-Create Innovative Solutions”, is structured around three core pillars: Society, Peace and Stability, and Economy.
The sessions will spotlight areas such as infrastructure, digital technologies, health, youth empowerment, and AI, key to fostering inclusive growth and leveraging Africa’s youthful demographics.
At the same time, Information Minister Jerolinmek Piah has rejected as justified criticism that the Liberian government’s delegation to the conference in Japan is bloated.
Speaking to reporters at the Roberts International Airport (RIA) in Lower Margibi County over the weekend, Minister Piah described the criticism as a distraction.
He emphasized that President Boakai departed the country to participate in the 9th TICAD Conference and Expo 2025 in search of development to improve the lives of Liberians.
Minister Jerolinmek Piah maintained that the variables surrounding the President’s trip are quite different as compared to Liberia’s recent experience, where huge delegations left the country for protracted periods, only to engage in fanfare and bring no dividends.
By: Anthony Williams/Anthony Vanwen