A Policy Analyst—Narvin Jusay-Fanonkon Ireland has described as outdated, the recent World Bank report on the poverty ration on Liberia.

On Monday, the World Bank released its poverty assessment report on Liberia, highlighting that nearly one million Liberians live in extreme poverty and 2.5 million live in absolute poverty.

The bank’s Country Manager in Liberia— Ms. Georgia Wallen said the report finds that nearly 6 out of every 10 Liberians live in poverty based on the national poverty line.

“And in the context of multiple crises, the plight of the poor has worsened, and the number of people in poverty has increased. Roughly 1,000,000 Liberians live in extreme poverty and 2.5 million in absolute poverty,” she said.

However, in response via his social media page, Analyst Narvin Jusay-Fanonkon Ireland expressed dismayed that the data used in the assessment were gathered 8-10 years ago, which raises concerns about its accuracy and relevance.

“Today, I attended the launch of the Liberia Poverty Assessment, a report compiled by the World Bank in 2023. However, I was dismayed to learn that the data used in the assessment were gathered 8-10 years ago, which raises concerns about its accuracy and relevance,” he said.

He further indicated that that relying on outdated data could lead to flawed and misleading conclusions, thereby raising questions about the activities of the Liberia Institute for Statistics and Geo-Information Services (LISGIS) over the past 8-10 years and how the country can effectively address issues highlighted in the report with such questionable data.

“Despite my reservations about the data’s reliability, I found solace in the recommendations put forth by the panelists, many of which align with the key areas we have been focusing on at Integrity Watch Liberia. These include the enforcement of the revenue sharing law, prioritizing decentralization efforts, combating corruption inclusively, implementing progressive tax reforms, and ensuring access to quality education at affordable rates,” he said.

He added that this underscores the importance of ongoing work and significant role in advancing the nation’s development.

About Narvin Jusay-Fanonkon

Policy Analyst at Integrity Watch Liberia and Head of Secretariat at CSO Budget Platform

Past: Africa Centre for Energy Policy and IREDD

Former Next-Gen Leader/Policy Analyst at Africa Centre for Energy Policy

Former Program Associate/Project Manager at Integrity Watch Liberia