Liberia: World Bank CPIA Panel Slams African Governments Over Public Service Failures

The World Bank’s Country Policy and Institutional Assessment (CPIA) panel has faulted African governments for misdirecting public service delivery priorities and failing to utilize state resources to improve citizens’ lives.

During the recent launch of the CPIA report in Monrovia, panelists from Liberia and Nigeria criticized what they described as the deliberate neglect of the needs of ordinary people. The panelists argued that governments continue to design programs that do not reflect the realities faced by citizens, leading to widespread public discontent and failed development outcomes.

CPIA is the World Bank’s tool for evaluating the performance of African countries in delivering effective governance and public services, including healthcare, education, sanitation and security.

Gabriel Okeowo, country director of BudgIT Nigeria, said the CPIA data may indicate modest gains, but these improvements remain disconnected from the lived experiences of most Africans.

“The report indicates a little bit of progress, but to ordinary citizens, they want to know what this translates to in their lives–how efficient public transportation is, how accessible and affordable healthcare is, and whether food and energy are affordable,” Okeowo said.

“For as long as the theories do not reflect improvement in people’s daily lives, there’s no real success.”

BudgIT is a civic organization that uses technology to promote citizen engagement and improve public sector transparency. Okeowo, who has more than 13 years of experience in the NGO sector, specializes in project management and data systems.

He criticized governments for prioritizing politics over people, warning that development initiatives are failing because they do not include the voices of those most affected.

“In Nigeria, the government often tailors programs that are disconnected from people’s actual needs. They do not involve communities in the design and execution, and that’s why many projects collapse,” he said.

Citing an example, Okeowo said a free tuition initiative by Nigeria’s federal government once led to increased school enrollment–but failed due to lack of qualified teachers, classroom space and seating capacity.

“In the end, the program failed. They couldn’t pay the unqualified personnel they hired,” he said.

“Boasting of abundant resources means nothing if governments do not use them wisely or include citizens in decision-making.”

He added that local governments must be empowered to lead service delivery efforts, as they are closer to the people than presidents, ministers or parliamentarians.

Liberian Perspectives

Panelists from Liberia echoed similar concerns. Henry D.Z. Yanquoi, assistant minister for economic policy at the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP), and Mary Duncan Dahn, a monitoring and evaluation specialist at Plan International Liberia, agreed that inequality and poor service delivery are driving growing public frustration.

“In communities, the disparity between the haves and have-nots is glaring,” Yanquoi said.

“Inequality breeds discontent. Liberia has seen multiple protests due to lack of electricity and basic social services. We can’t ignore these realities.”

He said the government’s ARREST Agenda–Liberia’s fourth post-war development plan–aims to reduce inequality and improve basic service access. But until economic hardship is addressed decisively, countries like Liberia will continue to experience unrest.

“Governments must rationalize public spending and prioritize investments in areas that directly impact citizens,” he said.

Yanquoi acknowledged that since Liberia’s return to democratic rule in 2006, no administration has committed even 10% of the national budget to grassroots development. He said the ARREST Agenda intends to reverse that trend by boosting domestic revenue and directing more resources to public service.

He also called for increased investment in human capital and stronger private sector partnerships to reduce dependency on government.

‘Service Delivery Is Non-Negotiable’

Dahn, the Plan International expert, emphasized that quality public services should not be up for negotiation between governments and their people.

“Rising discontent is inevitable when citizens are not receiving basic services,” she said.

“Public uprisings across Africa are often triggered by dissatisfaction. Governments must pay closer attention to the needs of their citizens if peace and stability are to be sustained.”

She said that while there may be some progress in education, much remains to be done.

“You need well-trained and adequately paid teachers. Schools must be equipped with the right facilities, and classrooms must be conducive to learning,” she added.

The CPIA panel discussion was moderated by Daniel Ankrah, senior communications manager at the Liberia Revenue Authority.

By Liberian Investigator.