Foreign Minister of Liberia, H. E. Gbehzohngar Milton Findley, has extolled the Food and Agriculture Organization (FOA) for the remarkable assistance that UN agency continues to provide Liberia.

This UN specialized agency’s assistance dates back to the 1940s when Liberia acquired membership with the organization.

Minister Findley particularly commended FAO for the pivotal role it has played in Liberia especially during the periods of the country’s civil war and the Ebola outbreak in the country.

According to a Foreign Ministry release, Minister Findley made the commendation on Wednesday, April 4, when the FAO Country Representative to Liberia, Ms. Mariatou Njie, presented her Letters of Accreditation to him at the Foreign Ministry.   

“We want to thank you for all the good things that the FAO has done in the Agriculture Sector and other priority areas in Liberia. We want you and your organization to know that we appreciate the efforts that the FAO is making in Liberia,” the Minister told the incoming FAO Country Representative.   

While assuring her of his Ministry’s preparedness to assist the entity succeeds under her stewardship, the Minister assured, “We are here to make your job easier and successful and to also let you know that those relevant agencies in the country that you need to work with will definitely cooperate with your organization.” 

Responding, the FAO Representative, Ms. Njie thanked the Foreign Minister for the warm reception accorded her team since she arrived in Liberia. She noted that since her arrival, she is always greeted with commendations by Liberians for the positive initiatives the FAO is undertaking in Liberia.

“I come from the Gambia, an ECOWAS country like Liberia. We have a number of issues and problems in common with Liberia which confronts all of us in the sub region, especially the challenges we face in the areas of agriculture and poverty alleviation,” she emphasized.

Ms. Njie told the Minister that she has come with wealth of experiences having served the FAO for several years observing critical challenges in the Agriculture Sector.

She believes that in furtherance of President George Weah’s pro-poor agenda, which focuses on tackling poverty eradication as a major priority, the FAO has a competitive advantage. She indicated that her administration will work closely with the country in addressing some of the critical challenges.  

She further added that as a specialized agency in agriculture with a mandate to help nations across the world in eradicating poverty, FAO is best placed to assist the Liberian government in meeting its noble objective.

She told Mr. Findley, Dean of the Cabinet, that her organization has been reviewing some of the challenges the Liberian Agriculture Sector is faced with including weak institutions, which she said the FAO is here to help strengthen so as to be effective and efficient.

According to her, FAO wants to start by building the capacities of agriculture institutions so that they can jointly collaborate with her in assisting Liberian farmers develop the sector, which plays critical role in developing the country’s economy.   

The Letters of Accreditation ceremony was graced by Deputy Minister B. Elias Shoniyin, Assistant Ministers for International Cooperation and Economic Integration and Public Affairs among others.