—As Liberia Expects a a win-win Development Model under the current U.S. Administration
A high level delegation from the U.S. Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) is scheduled to arrive in Liberia on today Monday, September 22, 2025, to assess the country’s readiness for a potential second MCC Compact.
The Purpose of the visit according to sosuces is to evaluate Liberia’s preparedness for reaffirmation of eligibility for a second MCC compact. The team is being led by Carrie Monahan, MCC’s Managing Director for Africa, and includes senior economists and experts.
The visit occurs ahead of a critical MCC board meeting in December 2025, during which a decision on Liberia’s continued eligibility will be made.
- Scope of engagement: The delegation will meet with various government and non-governmental stakeholders to conduct a Constraints Analysis. This is a diagnostic process to identify the most significant barriers to economic growth in Liberia.
Background on Liberia’s MCC engagement
In December 2024, The MCC Board of Directors selected Liberia as eligible to develop a second compact. This was in recognition of the country’s progress on its scorecard and commitment to reforms. Subsequently in January 2025, a technical team from the MCC visited Liberia to begin preparatory work, though the process was temporarily paused due to the U.S. political transition, however, in August 2025, the MCC announced it would deploy a team to Liberia to help identify sectors for a potential compact.
First Compact (2015–2021)
Liberia’s first MCC compact, a five-year, $257 million grant, ended in 2021. It focused on improving electricity access and road infrastructure.
During their visit, the delegation will meet with various government agencies and private sector stakeholders in Liberia, including the Ministries of Finance and Development Planning, Mines and Energy, and Commerce, the Central Bank of Liberia, the Liberia Revenue Authority, the National Investment Commission, LISGIS, and the Liberia Chamber of Commerce. Additionally, the delegation will engage with transparency institutions such as the Liberia Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (LEITI).
These meetings are part of MCC’s Constraints Analysis process, which helps to identify barriers to growth and determine which sectors align best with MCC investment priorities. The outcome of this analysis will guide whether Liberia is invited to negotiate a new compact, following the closure of the US$257 million energy and roads program in 2021.
It is important to note that the outcome of Liberia’s eligibility will not only depend on the country’s readiness, but also on Washington’s evolving approach. Under the Trump administration, MCC has shifted towards a framework that explicitly links development finance to U.S. commercial interests.
According to Finance Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan, the MCC is now embracing a win-win development model under the current U.S. administration. Their aim is to support sectors that drive Liberia’s economic progress while also creating investment opportunities for the United States.
