…For Effective Local Governance and Decentralization
By: Jonathan O. Grigsby, Snr. Contributor Writer
Several Senior Local Leaders from across Liberia, have ended a three – day training, with the development of a roadmap for effective local governance and decentralization.
It focuses on nine thematic areas that will enable the Ministry of Local Government carry out effective service delivery for residents in the fifteen counties.
Amongst the areas are, digital system and information management, monitoring, evaluation and accountability, capacity building and training and human resource strengthening.
Others are policy implementation and legal framework, system development and institutional tools, communication and coordination, including governance strengthening at local level.
The participants stressed various outcomes for the nine roadmap which include: improved coordination, transparency, and data access, consistent oversight and performance tracking, skilled and competent local governance workforce, adequate and capable staffing structure, clear policy direction and improved compliance, standardized and efficient institutional operations, reduced delays and better collaboration, as well as reduced overlap and stronger local autonomy.
They indicated for the successful implementation the roadmap that was developed at the end of the training there must be the political will and leadership alignment, adequate funding and resource allocation, continuous training and follow-up and strong accountability.
Participants during the day three training were the county superintendent, county development officer, county finance officer and county administrative officer.
Meanwhile, speaking at the close of the workshop on Friday, 17 April 2026 on Capitol Hill in Monrovia, the Minister of Local Government, Francis Nyumalin has cautioned local officials, manly superintendents to operate within the scope of the local government act.
Minister Nyumalin vowed to support them because their actions will effectual service delivery for community dwellers in the with government agenda.
The Local Government Ministry Boss: “Called on the local authorities to redouble their dedication and commitment to duties to ensure their outcomes are better than 2025. In 2025, our scored card was (A-excellence), and we can drop the ball to B, so the challenge for us all is to score is to score (A- Plus), meaning Very Good for this 2026 and to be maintained in the coming years”.
He also thanked local leaders with the massive achievements made in 2025, and called for more collective collaboration in their respective counties. He also extolled them for their timely response and their full participation in the training, which is help them carry on their respective duties with ease.
Speaking on behalf of the participants was the Co–Chairman of the Superintendent Council, Folley Kiatamba, who said they are returning to their various counties with more vigor in the execution of their functions.
“Building our capacity are vital and we thanked Minister Francis Nyumalin and other officials at the Ministry for organizing such insightful training”.
He however, appealed to the organizers to always conduct similar training at all time to make the local authorities effective and efficient.
Topics discussed during the three days’ workshop included, strengthening country governance and administrative capacities, preliminary findings on decentralization, and communication and coordination, among others.
Speaking earlier before the end of the workshop, Deputy Minister Designate for Local Government and Decentralization, Edward K. Mulbah, disclosed that gathering is part of the Ministry’s initiative to better equip local leaders of the fifteen counties.
Minister Mulbah thanked the various facilitators for the knowledge sharing that have adequately sharpened the participating local authorities’ skills to jump-start the local government operations.
This is the first gathering of local county officials at the grounds for a training workshop since training from the Internal Affairs Ministry to the Ministry of Local Government.
History of the Ministry of Local Government
The Ministry of Local Government (MLG) is Liberia’s central agency responsible for implementing decentralization, empowering local governance, and enhancing service delivery across the various counties.
The ministry of Local Government (MLG) was officially established following the abolition of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA), marking a major shift in Liberia governance structure toward decentralization.
This transition aligns with the Local Government Act of 2018, which provides the legal framework for transferring authority from the central government in Monrovia to local county administrations.
The Act empowers country superintendents, city mayors, and other local officials to manager local affairs, ensuring that citizens have a greater role in decision-on making and development planning.
Leadership
The Ministry’s is led by Minister Francis Nyumalin, who oversees the transition from centralized governance to a decentralization system.
The Deputy Minister Designate for Local Government and Decentralization, Edward K. Mulbah, plays a key role in implementing capacity building and ICT initiative to empower local communities.
Impact
By transferring authority to local administrations and supporting count-level planning, the Ministry of Local Government (MLG) aims to empower citizens to define priorities, shape development agendas, and take ownership of outcomes.
This approach ensures that governance is more responsive, inclusive, and aligned with the needs of local communities.
