07/10/2026
World Bank Social Protection Task Team Pays Courtesy Visit to LACE Executive Director
The World Bank Mission Team of the REALISE Project paid a courtesy visit to the Executive Director of the Liberia Agency for Community Empowerment (LACE), Mr. Julius K. Sele, as part of ongoing engagements aimed at sustaining and expanding social protection interventions in Liberia. The mission team was accompanied by members of the Project Management Team. The meeting provided an opportunity for the World Bank, LACE, and the REALISE Project Management Team to reflect on the progress of the project and explore practical options for sustaining its interventions beyond the current project period. The project comes to an end on December 31, 2026.
A major focus of the discussion was the need to develop the road map by the Bank and the Project Management Team how to sustain the gains made by the REALISE Project over the last five years. The national Social Agency is established to take the lead in strengthening the social protection sector in Liberia. The participants also discussed the importance of developing a strong and convincing justification that could be presented to the Government of Liberia in support of a new social protection project. Such an initiative could potentially be structured as a new government-led social protection program supported through development financing, including a loan arrangement, to respond to the growing needs of vulnerable communities across the country.
For his part the Executive Director Julius K. Sele emphasized
the importance of strengthening LACE's presence at the subnational level. He noted that establishing LACE sub-offices in strategic counties, in collaboration with relevant stakeholders, would enhance the Agency's ability to respond quickly and effectively to national initiatives and pending programs supported by international development partners. According to Mr. Sele, a stronger county-level presence would also improve coordination, monitoring, community engagement, and implementation of social protection and community development interventions with extreme success.
The meeting concluded with the Task TEAM Leader, Madam Alexandra informing the Executive Director of an upcoming visit of the Regional Social Protection Task Team Leader to Liberia on Monday October 12, 2026. While in the country, the Regional Task Team will visit project sites in West Point and Bomi County. He will also pay courtesy calls to various government officials.