Liberia’s Joseph Boakai has been sworn in as the 26th president of the West African nation, and a critical question for us is: what next?

Development Diaries reports that Boakai, who was sworn in for a six-year term at a ceremony in the capital, Monrovia, promised to work for all citizens as he called for ‘inclusivity and reconciliation’ in his inaugural speech.

Liberians expect Boakai to create jobs, improve the economy, strengthen institutions and fight corruption, which was one of his key campaign promises.

Boakai, during his inauguration ceremony, re-echoed his promise to fight corruption and renew ‘the lost hope’ of citizens as his priorities in a country ranked 142 out of 180 on the 2022 Corruption Perception Index of Transparency International.

The majority of Liberians say corruption in the country increased between 2022 and 2023, and the government is doing a poor job of addressing it, according to a 2023 Afrobarometer survey.

Key public institutions such as the police, the House of Representatives, the Presidency, and the Senate are most widely seen as corrupt, while fewer citizens perceive corruption as widespread among non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and religious and traditional leaders.

We believe that the next logical step is for Liberians to continuously follow up on all the promises he made during his election campaign and at the inaugural ceremony and hold him accountable for them.

Development Diaries calls on the president to ensure his administration is transparent and accountable to help fight corruption and boost the confidence of Liberians in participating in affairs of governance.

We also urge Liberians to demand transparency and accountability, not only from the president but from all levels of government, to ensure resources are being utilised for the overall good of the country.

Photo source: United Nations