Monrovia, December 15, 2025 — President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr. has officially launched the Excellence in Learning in Liberia (EXCEL) Project, a US$88.7 million national education initiative aimed at expanding access to quality learning and strengthening foundational education for more than 350,000 learners nationwide.
The project was unveiled Monday at a high-level ceremony at the Monrovia City Hall, where President Boakai described EXCEL as a decisive investment in Liberia’s future and a cornerstone for sustainable national development.
“For Liberia to develop sustainably, we must get education right,” the President said. “If we fail our children in the classroom, we risk failing the nation tomorrow.”
President Boakai stressed that EXCEL goes beyond the introduction of a new education program, representing instead a renewed national commitment to ensure that every Liberian child regardless of background or geographic location has access to quality education.
The President welcomed the MAKE Group of the Republic of Korea as a key partner and acknowledged the support of other development partners, educators, parents, and policymakers working to reform Liberia’s education system.
The EXCEL Project focuses on four priority areas: expanding equitable access to primary education through the construction of 100 climate-resilient schools; implementing a school capitation grant program to support renovations, rehabilitation, and performance-based incentives; rolling out a school-based violence prevention program; and strengthening education systems through improved Annual School Census and National Primary Learning Assessments.
Providing further details, Education Minister Dr. Jarso Maley Jallah described EXCEL as a major milestone in Liberia’s education reform agenda, placing early literacy, numeracy, teacher development, and accountability at the center of national priorities. She commended the World Bank and the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) for their partnership and sustained support to the sector.
The initiative is expected to benefit approximately 350,000 learners, provide enhanced training and support for over 12,000 public school teachers, and strengthen the leadership capacity of more than 4,600 school administrators across all 15 counties and political districts, with particular emphasis on equity and inclusion for vulnerable communities.
President Boakai emphasized that EXCEL aligns with his Administration’s ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development, especially its focus on human capital development. He described the project as a long-term investment expected to increase productivity, reduce inequality, promote safer learning environments, and strengthen communities.
The Liberian leader also called on the Legislature to ensure the timely ratification of the project’s financing, warning that delays could undermine its successful implementation. He urged parents, educators, community leaders, and development partners to take collective ownership of the initiative.
“Let us make excellence the standard, not the exception, in Liberian education,” President Boakai declared.
The EXCEL Project is expected to play a central role in reshaping Liberia’s basic education system and laying a solid foundation for sustained national development beginning in 2026.
