Employment-Intensive Investment in

Liberia

Activities of the Employment Intensive Investment Programme in Liberia

Current EIIP Involvement

The ILO, together with other development partners is supporting the reconstruction efforts of the Liberian government. Following initial funding from the Netherlands and subsequent funding from the African Development Bank, the European Commission and the World Bank, the ILO has launched a capacity building exercise, using employment intensive approaches for training emerging entrepreneurs and government staff on the planning, designing and implementation of works. The projects aim to open up areas with high economic potential, boost agricultural production and create the much needed employment in the delivery process. The achievements are now being worked into the Liberia Vision 2030 strategy (a new development plan for the country adopted in 2012 focused on “united for sustainable peace and development”) through thorough assessments of the employment impact of different investment strategies.

Historical Information

A labour based road project, which links the large market area of Gardnerville and Barnesville with Johnsonville, is one of three components of a Poverty Reduction through Employment Creation Programme financed by the Netherlands in collaboration with the ILO. This is an area with fertile soils and sizeable potential for agro-activities, and is expected to improve business opportunities and farm to market access needed by farmers and entrepreneurs in the area.. The project is part of the Government's employment intensive investment in road rehabilitation and maintenance. Labour-based roadworks are part of the Government's dry season deliverables. The visit provided a chance for the Government and its cooperating partners to see first hand cost-effective labour-based methods to increase employment.

Crisis response measures, notably within the framework of the Global Jobs Pact, have generally translated into both short-term crisis recovery policies and longer term strategies to address structural employment challenges. Employment objectives and targets have been integrated into medium- to long-term growth and development strategies. In Liberia, ILO capacity building and implementation of support for staff of the Ministries of Works and Agriculture and public and private sector entrepreneurs underpinned the development of 16 companies and the generation of some 50,000 workdays using employment-intensive investment approaches. A strong job creation dimension has also been embedded in disaster and conflict-related responses.