Liberian Senators Propose New Capital Amidst Severe Flooding Crisis

A group of senators have proposed the relocation of the Liberian capital city from Monrovia as a result of the recent severe flooding that has left nearly 50,000 Liberians in urgent need.

Triggered by rapid rains between late June and early July, flash floods wreaked havoc on Monrovia, exacerbating issues related to overpopulation, poor sewage systems, and a lack of building regulation.

The National Disaster Management Agency reported that the capital is home to 1.5 million people, which has been particularly hard-hit due to its inadequate infrastructure.

In early July, a senate joint committee convened to address the persistent flooding problem and suggested establishing a new city to replace Monrovia. The proposal has sparked a range of responses from the public.

“It’s a good idea because our current capital city is a mess,” said Chris Kpewudu, a young motorbike driver in Monrovia. “There is garbage all over the city, and also when it rains, there is flooding everywhere, but with a new city, it will be well laid out, and our capital city could look like, or more than, Abuja(Nigeria),” he told AFP.

According to reports, planned capital cities are not new to Africa. Nigeria’s Abuja, Tanzania’s Dodoma, and Yamoussoukro in Cote d’Ivoire were all established as administrative capitals towards the end of the 20th century, with their geographically central positions serving as a model for potential future capitals like the one proposed in Liberia.

Monrovia, located on Liberia’s Atlantic coast, is the country’s economic, political, and cultural hub.

The city’s Freeport is vital for exporting essential commodities such as iron ore, rubber, and timber to the United States and Europe. However, the city’s infrastructure struggles to keep up with its growing population.

According to the Ministry of Public Works, it is currently reviewing the relocation proposal. T. T. Benjamin Myers, the ministry’s communications director, emphasised the economic challenges involved.

“Having a new city is capital-intensive. As a country, our national budget is still around $600 million, so having a new city will require a lot of technical, financial, and economic factors to be seriously considered,” Myers stated.

This is not the first time such a proposal has been made. In 2012, former president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf suggested relocating the capital to a new city called Zekepa in central Liberia. However, the plan never materialised, leaving many sceptical about the current proposal’s feasibility.

Marayah Fyneah, national program officer of the Liberian Women’s Legislative Caucus, recalled the excitement surrounding Sirleaf’s proposal but noted the lack of tangible progress.

“We were all enthusiastic and looking forward to that,” she said. “But unfortunately, we did not even see a plan to show what the city would look like.”

Some residents believe improving Monrovia’s infrastructure and addressing poverty should be higher priorities.

Journalist Princess Elexa VanjahKollie voiced her concerns: “Our lawmakers are forgetting the issues we have on hand as a country. Even the city of Monrovia is poorly managed regarding sanitation and much more.”

Experts warn that creating a new capital requires extensive urban planning. “To establish a new city is not a quick fix,” Christopher Wallace, an economics lecturer at the University of Liberia, told AFP.

“You want to consider the economic activities that would make the economy vibrant in that area, and you must have done zoning to have a clear layout of what such a city will look like.”

AFP

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