A four-member Liberian delegation has returned from Qinghai Province, China, after participating in the 2026 Training Program for African Grassroots Cadres on Poverty Alleviation, with renewed calls for greater investment in agriculture, rural infrastructure, agro-processing, clean energy and youth entrepreneurship.
Led by James Kollie Galakpai, CEO and Founder of the Liberia Feed Yourself Agriculture Initiative Inc. (LIFAI-Inc.), the delegation said the training provided practical exposure to China’s approaches to poverty reduction, rural revitalization, agricultural modernization and sustainable development.
The delegation visited agricultural demonstration centers, solar-energy facilities, industrial companies, emergency-management centers and the Qinghai Lake National Nature Reserve. Galakpai said the experience demonstrated that agriculture can become a major driver of employment and economic transformation when supported by infrastructure, technology, investment and effective planning.
“We did not travel to China simply to see development. We traveled to learn how development is organized, and we now return to Liberia with the responsibility to transform what we learned into action,” he said.
The delegation particularly highlighted lessons from China’s rural development and poverty-reduction programs, noting the importance of continued support after communities emerge from poverty.
The Liberian delegation to China also emphasized the need for Liberia to strengthen rural roads, electricity, safe drinking water, healthcare, education, digital connectivity, and climate-resilient infrastructure. Visits to the Tala Breach Photovoltaic Industrial Park, Qianziyuan Agriculture Science and Technology Expo Park, and Qinghai Hoh Xil Food Co., Ltd. exposed the participants to renewable energy, agricultural technology, food processing and value addition.
The delegation said Liberia should develop complete agricultural value chains—from production and mechanization to storage, processing, packaging, transportation and markets—to create more opportunities for young people.
Galakpai also called for stronger disaster preparedness, early-warning systems and climate-resilient agriculture, drawing lessons from the delegation’s visit to the Xining Emergency Command Center and a post-disaster relocation community.
The delegation urged the Government of Liberia to establish agricultural science and technology demonstration parks, expand agro-processing, promote solar energy in rural communities and improve access to financing and technical support for youth-led agricultural businesses.
Galakpai said young Liberians should not only be beneficiaries of development programs but should become active owners and drivers of economic transformation. He expressed appreciation to the Ministry of Agriculture, Minister Dr. J. Alexander Nuetah, the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Monrovia, the Foreign Affairs Office of Qinghai Province, Chinese hosts and trainers, and fellow African participants.
The Liberian delegation comprised James KollieGalakpai, Head of Delegation; John Selma, CEO of Selma Agriculture Development Cooperation; Marline TokpahJarwoe, Human Resource Officer, Ministry of Local Government, Bong County; and Abel Papalom Varney, CEO of Agro Links Enterprise Inc.
Galakpai said the delegation returned home determined to translate lessons from China into practical initiatives for Liberia’s agricultural and rural transformation.
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