Liberia Strengthens Nuclear Cooperation with IAEA Through 2030 Framework Agreement
Liberia has signed a comprehensive five-year Country Programme Framework with the International Atomic Energy Agency covering 2026 to 2030, focusing on technical cooperation in agriculture, health, radiation safety, and environmental protection. The agreement was formalized on September 17, 2025, in Vienna, Austria, with Liberia’s Minister of Agriculture Alexander Nuetah and IAEA Deputy Director General Hua Liu signing on behalf of their respective institutions.
The framework aligns with Liberia’s national development plan, the ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development spanning 2025 to 2029, which prioritizes food security, infrastructure, governance, human capital development, and sanitation. The collaboration was developed with input from multiple government agencies including the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Agriculture, Health, and Mines and Energy, alongside the Environmental Protection Agency and UN partners including UNDP, FAO, and WHO.
Five priority areas have been identified under the new agreement. Nuclear and radiation safety will focus on establishing a regulatory framework and independent authority. In food and agriculture, nuclear technologies will boost crop and livestock productivity while improving food safety and sustainable soil and water management. Health and nutrition initiatives include establishing a radiotherapy facility and using nuclear techniques to assess maternal and child nutrition.
The energy and industry component will strengthen national capacity in energy planning using IAEA tools, while the water and environment sector will build technical capacity for applying isotopic techniques to sustainable water resource management. Liberia has maintained IAEA membership since 1962 and has recently renewed its participation in technical cooperation programs. The new framework strengthens this partnership through close dialogue ensuring national ownership of projects and alignment with development priorities.
Source: frontpageafricaonline.com
