Monrovia, Liberia – July 16, 2026 – President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr. has described the Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Dr. Emmanuel K. Urey Yarkpawolo, as a “gift to this nation,” while commending his leadership and the EPA management for delivering a historic transformation that has positioned the Agency as a stronger institution for environmental governance.

President Boakai made the statement on Thursday, July 16, 2026, during the official dedication of the Environmental Protection Agency Headquarters in Mamba Point, Monrovia, and the commissioning of the Agency’s new Elemental Analyzer, a major scientific equipment designed to strengthen Liberia’s environmental research and monitoring capacity.

The President said the completion and acquisition of the EPA’s permanent headquarters represents a significant achievement for Liberia, demonstrating the importance of visionary leadership, accountability, and responsible management of public resources.

He praised Dr. Yarkpawolo and the EPA leadership for their commitment to ensuring that an institution with a critical national mandate operates from a permanent and modern facility.

“For this achievement, we appreciate Dr. Urey Yarkpawolo and the EPA Team. Institutions such as the EPA must be hosted in permanent facilities,” President Boakai stated.

He added that Dr. Yarkpawolo’s contribution to strengthening the Agency reflects the type of leadership required to advance Liberia’s environmental protection agenda.

President Boakai noted that the acquisition of the 1.8-acre property in Mamba Point for approximately US$800,000, including taxes and fees, represents a sound investment by the Government of Liberia. He explained that the purchase price was significantly below the assessed market value of the property.

According to the President, the acquisition brings an end to years of rental payments and transforms government spending into a permanent national asset that will serve Liberia for generations.

“The purchase ends the continuous payment of rent and converts public expenditure into a permanent asset,” President Boakai said, describing the achievement as an example of responsible financial management, institutional foresight, and value for money.

The President emphasized that the EPA’s new headquarters is not merely an office building but a foundation for stronger environmental governance, equipped with modern workspaces, conference facilities, and scientific infrastructure to support the Agency’s expanding responsibilities.

He highlighted the importance of the EPA’s laboratory facilities, which will enhance environmental testing, scientific research, monitoring, and evidence-based enforcement.

A major highlight of the ceremony was the commissioning of the EPA’s new Elemental Analyzer, valued at approximately €100,000 and donated by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) through a competitive regional selection process.

President Boakai said the equipment represents a major advancement for Liberia’s scientific capacity, enabling the EPA to analyze soil, water, sediments, plants, and other environmental samples locally.

He explained that the analyzer will reduce Liberia’s dependence on external laboratories while improving environmental decision-making, research, and regulatory processes.

“The analyzer will support regulators, researchers, farmers, universities, and health professionals,” the President said. “It will contribute to understanding soil fertility, water quality, pollution, organic carbon, coastal ecosystems, mangroves, and the impacts of development activities.”

The President also commended the IAEA and other development partners for supporting Liberia’s environmental progress and recognized the EPA’s collaboration with the University of Liberia and Manchester Metropolitan University on research related to mangrove ecosystems and carbon storage.

President Boakai called on the EPA leadership and staff to protect and maintain the new facility and ensure that the laboratory operates according to international standards.

He reaffirmed his Administration’s commitment to implementing the ARREST Agenda, emphasizing that environmental protection remains central to achieving sustainable economic growth and national development.

Earlier, EPA Executive Director Dr. Emmanuel K. Urey Yarkpawolo reflected on the Agency’s journey from operating in rented and inadequate facilities to owning a modern headquarters that meets international standards.

Dr. Yarkpawolo disclosed that for more than sixteen years, the EPA operated from two deteriorating rented buildings, paying approximately US$72,000 annually without acquiring ownership.

He explained that maintaining the previous rental arrangement would have cost the Government more than US$1 million over ten years, while leaving the country without a permanent institutional facility.

“The acquisition of this property converts a recurring expense into a permanent public asset while providing the EPA with a modern institutional home capable of serving Liberia for generations,” Dr. Yarkpawolo said.

He credited the achievement to the commitment of EPA management and staff, noting that employees made sacrifices, including reducing operational costs and accepting adjustments that contributed to the successful acquisition of the property.

Dr. Yarkpawolo said the new headquarters contains approximately 80 offices, three conference rooms, four reception areas, a GIS laboratory, library, warehouse, staff workspaces, parking facilities, and a generator house.

The facility is also powered by a 60-kilowatt solar energy system with batteries and inverters, reinforcing Liberia’s commitment to clean energy and climate resilience.

The EPA Executive Director announced that the Agency is expanding beyond Monrovia, with the acquisition of three acres of land in Bong County for the construction of a regional environmental laboratory.

He further disclosed that discussions are advancing to secure land in Grand Cape Mount, Grand Bassa, Sinoe, and Maryland Counties for Environmental Learning Centers aimed at improving environmental education, monitoring, and access to EPA services nationwide.

Dr. Yarkpawolo also highlighted other achievements, including the establishment of the National Climate Change Laboratory with support from the Government of Canada, solar energy installations at key government institutions, and EPA’s partnership with the Monrovia City Corporation to operate a US$100,000 organic waste composting facility at Fiamah.