By Grace Bryant Mollay
The Director General of the National Food Assistance Agency (NFAA),Boakai Sirleaf, has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to fighting hunger and supporting Liberia’s most vulnerable communities, declaring that “no Liberian should go to bed hungry.”
He made the remarks on Thursday at the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism’s regular press briefing.
Sirleaf outlined the history, recent revitalization, and future vision of the NFAA, emphasizing the agency’s critical role in food security and poverty alleviation. “A lot of people don’t know about the National Food Assistance Agency. It’s not a new institution—it was established in 1970 by President William R. Tolbert through an executive order to provide food to schools and other vulnerable institutions,” he said.
According to him, during Liberia’s civil war, the agency’s activities were overtaken by emergency organizations, including one named SELF, and the NFAA eventually became dormant. It wasn’t until the COVID-19 pandemic that the agency regained attention. President George Weah revived its mandate via Executive Order No. 1, recognizing the urgency of national food security.
According to Sirleaf, they inherited an agency with barely two rooms and broken-down desks at the Ministry of Public Works. “But with vision and determination,we moved from that dilapidated setting to a modern office building in Fiamah, Gibson Avenue.”
Sirleaf explained the NFAA’s twofold strategy to direct food assistance and agricultural empowerment. “We must feed, but also support the farmers who grow the food. If farmers produce and can’t sell, they will stop producing. But if they produce and we buy, we strengthen the chain that feeds the nation.”
He disclosed that last week, NFAA, in partnership with Liberian food producer, Leap Venture, delivered several bags of coco and water to inmates at the Monrovia Central Prison. Over the past year, the agency also reached out to vulnerable groups including the School for the Blind in Barnesville, the Muslim Home for the Disabled in Clara Town, and the Christian Association of the Blind along the Robertsfield Highway.
Sirleaf also announced plans to rehabilitate five major food warehouses previously used during the Ebola outbreak.
Located in Lofa, Grand Bassa, Bong, and Grand Gedeh counties, the warehouses will be restored in collaboration with the General Services Agency (GSA) and the World Food Programme (WFP).
These centers will serve as logistical hubs for emergency food distribution in times of flood, fire, or other national disasters.
The agency is also working closely with the Ministry of Education to support homegrown school feeding programs; reflecting on his own experience as a school feeding beneficiary.
Sirleaf said, “I went to elementary school for three reasons—food, friends, and education. But the food was the first. Many children today go to school without breakfast. How do you expect them to learn?”
Director Sirleaf revealed the agency’s ambition to launch a national food stamp system, similar to programs in more developed countries.
He said, “This would allow individuals to access food of their choice through designated vendors. To get there,we must first build the foundation. That’s the work we’re doing now.”
He called on ministries, development partners, and civil society to support the agency’s mission.
“We are on the front line in the war on hunger. And this is not a one-man’s job. It requires all of us,” he said.
The NFAA’s renewed energy and purpose come at a critical time for Liberia, as the nation continues to battle economic hardship, food insecurity, and the lingering impacts of past crises.
