According to the French Ambassador accredited to Liberia, Terence Wills, the French Development Agency (AFD) has given Liberia 5 million Euros budget support which was disbursed in 2018.
Ambassador Wills stated that another 5 million Euros project already approved by the AFD Board in November 2018 will help to strengthen youth employability and entrepreneurship in Liberia in partnership with Mercy Corps.
He indicated that the Liberian youth will have access to higher education through a partnership with the National Polytechnic Institute of Yamoussoukro in neighboring La Cote d’Ivoire.
He noted that an additional 10 million Euros project will be submitted to the AFD Board by the end of 2019, which aims to expand the youth opportunity project to be implemented with the World Bank.
Ambassador Wills maintained that the project will also help to finance other activities such as basic infrastructure which include schools, health, sport facilities, and multi-purpose youth centers built within communities.
He added that this component will be implemented through the Liberia Agency for Community Empowerment (LACE), and that there will be a grant to support another sector like infrastructure, and urban development, among others.
Envoy Wills said there would also be room for the Liberian Government to request for budget support from France.
The French diplomat pointed out that Paris will act in furtherance of the AFD roadmap to support the implementation of the Liberian government’s Pro-Poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development (PAPD).