The United Nations International Organization for Migration (UN-IOM) and the Government of Liberia, with support from the African Development Bank, have rolled out a strategy to strengthen diplomatic engagement, aiming at creating an enabling policy and institutional environment for investment, entrepreneurship, skills transfer, and knowledge exchange.
By Lincoln G. Peters
Monrovia, August 7, 2025: The Diaspora Engagement Task Force (DETF) was officially launched on Wednesday, August 6, 2025, through the Diaspora Office at the Ministry of State for Presidential Affairs.
The Task Force established is under the umbrella of the initiative-Streamlining Diaspora Engagement to Catalyze Private Investments and Entrepreneurship for Enhanced Resilience (SDE4R).
The initiative is a pilot continental project funded by the African Development Bank and implemented by IOM in eight African countries, namely the Gambia, Liberia, Madagascar, Mali, Somalia, South Sudan, Togo, and Zimbabwe.
The pilot project is designed to unlock the potential of Liberia’s diaspora by creating an enabling policy and institutional environment for investment, entrepreneurship, skills transfer, and knowledge exchange.
Furthermore, from diaspora mapping to policy formulation and investment promotion, the project aims to build bridges between the Liberian diaspora and the development aspirations of their homeland.
The official signing ceremony was held on the fourth-floor Conference Room of the Diaspora Office Affairs at the Executive Mansion, bringing together representatives from the UN Migration, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, represented by the Deputy Minister, Dr. Ibrahim Al-barkri Nyei, and Madam Mamaka Bility from the office of the President, as well as diaspora Liberians, and development partners.
Providing brief insight regarding the project, Erasmus T. Williams, of the Diaspora Office Affairs, said that the goal is to form a strategic partnership with the IOM to serve as a physical agent in the In-Network to engage the diaspora Community in a more structured manner.
” The Taskforce composition also includes the Ministry of State for Presidential Affairs, Finance and Development Planning, Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Commerce, National Investment Commission, Chamber of Commerce, and the IOM, which will represent us in the entire UN Network. We have partners that we will also work with in various sectors, including all Liberian organizations. ” He noted.
Speaking on behalf of the United Nations International Organization for Migration, Mr. Serge Lenaud, IOM representative, expressed appreciation and gratitude.
According to him, importantly, the launch of the program also builds on recent momentum generated by the UN Network on Migration training workshop held in Monrovia last month, which brought together government institutions, civil society, and academia to explore ways.
” On behalf of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), I am honored to join you today for the official launch of the Diaspora Engagement Task Force (DETF) a landmark step in Liberia’s strategic effort to strengthen ties with its diaspora and fully harness their potential as partners in national development. I would like to commend the Government of Liberia, particularly the Ministry of State for Presidential Affairs and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, for their leadership in advancing this agenda. The establishment of this Task Force is more than a procedural step-it reflects a strategic commitment to institutionalize coordination, coherence, and action in diaspora affairs.” He concluded.
For her part, Madam Mamaka Bility expressed appreciation to the UN-IOM and the Diaspora Office Affairs, while committing the government’s support towards the initiative.
According to her, President Joseph N. Boakai has pleaded his support to the diaspora Community, evidenced by the diaspora office at the Ministry of State for Presidential Affairs, adding that the Liberian Diaspora Community plays a crucial role in shaping the political, social, and economic trajectory of the country.
” When I see how the Diaspora Office Affair is institutionalized, it warms my heart. The biggest concern for the diaspora is security for their investment, and this government is committed to providing an enabling environment for investment and business. This task force will be a voice to engage with trade and commerce,” she noted. -Edited by Othello B. Garblah.
