The Japanese Government has signed a Food Aid Grant with the Liberian Government valued at US$5.1 million.

During an official signing ceremony of the exchange of notes between the Liberian and Japanese Governments held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Capitol Hill Tuesday, November 20, 2103 Hon. B. Elias Shoniyin, Acting Foreign Minister and Japanese Ambassador to Liberia His Excellency Naoto Nikai represented their respective countries.

Japan’s Food Aid to Liberia comes both bilaterally and through the United Nation’s World Food Program. It began since 2003, and saw Japan in 2012 also funding the World Bank’s West Africa Agricultural Productivity Program (WAAPP) in support of the Rice Research and Productivity Development Program.

Acting Minister Shoniyin, on behalf of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, thanked the Japanese People and Government for a gesture he says will further accentuate Liberia-Japan partnership and ties.

He disclosed that proceeds from the rice of the 2013 Food Aid which arrived in Liberia about two months ago, are being forwarded to the Counter-Fund in the spirit of the Agreement between Liberia and Japan.

“Mr. Ambassador, this signing ceremony today means a lot to Liberia’s post-conflict reconstruction, as it seeks to address core priorities in our national development frameworks, the ‘Agenda for Transformation’ and ‘Vision 2030’. It will translate into increased food and nutrition security by the provision of the Food Aid and following sales of the rice, proceeds thereafter will make intervention into priority projects that directly address national challenges such as infrastructure and other social services central to sustainable economic growth and development”, the Acting Foreign Minister asserted. 

He further stated that since the resumption of bilateral relations in 2007 between both countries, the Japanese Government has been a reliable partner to Liberia.

He then used the occasion to appeal to the Japanese Government for the reactivation of the Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOVC) program in Liberia now that the country’s security situation is improved. He also called on his Japanese counterpart to consider Liberia’s inclusion in the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program (JET), a program that promotes grass-root interaction and builds strong relations with local communities through foreign language education.

Minister Shoniyin also recalled Japan’s commitments made at the Fifth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD V) during which time the Japanese Government and African countries agreed to cooperate in a number of strategic areas to promote economic and social development.

The Acting Foreign Minister also recounted important outcomes of the discussion held with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) which include the inception of the Japanese Food and Petroleum Aid to Liberia, the provision of US$9 million Education Grant, the rehabilitation of the Liberian-Japanese Friendship Maternity Center, among others.

Speaking earlier after the signing of the notes, Japanese Ambassador Nikai stated that the successful implementation of the previous grant of Food Aid has boosted his country’s confidence to provide Liberia with another Food Aid.

The Japanese Envoy who expressed hope that the Liberian Government will further strengthen the effective implementation of the grant, adding, “I sincerely hope that this project will foster stronger friendship between Japan and Liberia.”

Ambassador Nikai acknowledged that food security is one of the challenges facing Liberia, further noting that Liberia only produces the small amount of its rice consumption with the remainder relying heavily on imports.

He explained that the Government of Liberia has utilized the proceeds of rice and stated that Liberian farmers are now self-sufficient in seeds rice and they no longer rely on the imported buddy rice

Ambassador Nikai then revealed that the Japanese Government has approved the construction of warehouses in rice production belt zone as a new project of Counterpart Fund.

“I hope that this new project will contribute to further empowerment of the agriculture sector in Liberia”, he added.