Liberia is one of the poorest countries in the world with a population of 4.8 million people and a growth rate of 2.5%. According to the World Food Programme, around 83% of the population live on less than $1.25 a day. The country has been war-torn in two prolonged civil wars. In 2014, it was one of the worst hit countries by the Ebola outbreak, severely impacting the country’s infrastructure and economy, now further deepened by the COVID-19 pandemic. It has some of the highest prevalence rates for malaria and tuberculosis in Africa.

The wars ended in 2003 but destroyed most of the country’s healthcare facilities. Life expectancy in Liberia is much lower than the world average. Communicable diseases are widespread, including tuberculosis, diarrhea, malaria, HIV, and Dengue. Female genital mutilation is widely practiced. Nearly a quarter of children under the age of five are malnourished and few people have access to adequate sanitation facilities.

The education sector in Liberia faces multiple challenges related to rebuilding and recovery from civil war, constrained national finances, poor infrastructure and the Ebola epidemic. Some of these challenges are: huge number of drop-outs, poor learning environment, overage enrollment, and unskilled teachers.

On the other hand, sustainable agricultural production is often left unattended to policies and programmes. Due to inadequate investment in the field, farmlands shrunk, water resources were mismanaged, and food distribution and production suffered. Liberia lacks good quality farm inputs, including mechanised farming methods and equipment, from poor pest management and lack of technology to the limited use of fertilisers and modern-day cultivation methods. Furthermore, due to poor road networks and high transport costs, there is little incentive to produce food beyond subsistence levels.