The Ministry of Internal Affairs has been renamed the Ministry of Local Government. The change of name comes almost two years since President Joseph Boakai made the proclamation of decentralizing local government, and subsequently submitting a bill to the effect, which has been passed by the House of Representatives, concurred by the Liberian Senate and printed into handbill.
In his first State-of-the-Nation Address delivered on January 29, 2024, His Excellency Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., President of the Republic of Liberia, underscored decentralization as a cornerstone of his administration’s ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development (AAID).
In that address, President Boakai noted that Liberia’s long-standing highly centralized governance system, anchored in Monrovia, had for decades excluded rural communities and left them marginalized. To reverse this trend and effect a paradigm shift, the President committed his administration to the full implementation of the Local Government Act of 2018, and called on the Legislature to establish a dedicated Ministry of Local Government.
Following the address, President Boakai took concrete steps to empower local governance by instructing all relevant ministries, agencies, and commissions (MACs) to devolve approval and signing authorities to their respective representatives at county service centers.
In furtherance of this vision to strengthen governance and accelerate national development, His Excellency President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., in August 2025 requested a change in the name of the Ministry of Internal Affairs to the Ministry of Local Government. This request included an amendment to Chapter 25 (Ministry of Internal Affairs), Title 12 of the Executive Law of 1972, Liberian Codes of Law Revised, to establish in its stead a new Chapter 25 known as the Ministry of Local Government.
The amendment paves the way for the full operationalization of the 2011 National Policy on Decentralization and Local Governance, the Local Government Act of 2018, and the Revenue Sharing Law of 2022. Collectively, these legal instruments devolve specific political, administrative, and fiscal powers and functions from the central government to county and sub-county authorities.
The promulgation of these frameworks imposes expanded mandates and responsibilities on the Ministry, making its renaming necessary. It also requires the adjustment of its core mandates, functions, and organizational structure, as well as the strengthening of its institutional capacity to effectively lead the implementation of decentralization, peacebuilding, and local governance laws, policies, and programs.
Pursuant to President Boakai’s vision, the Executive submitted an Act to amend Chapter 25 of the Executive Law. The amendment was unanimously passed by the House of Representatives, concurred by the Senate, and subsequently printed into handbill, thereby giving it full legal effect.
With this latest development, and in alignment with the President’s vision, the Ministry of Local Government is set to begin the nationwide rollout of the amended Local Government Act, and calls for the full cooperation and participation of all concerned stakeholders.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Local Government has extended profound thanks and appreciation to His Excellency President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., for his visionary leadership and unwavering support. The Ministry also expresses gratitude to the National Legislature and all partners and stakeholders who supported the passage of the amended Act.
