Clarence K. Moniba, Ph.D, has almost 15 years of working in and out of government, with his first posting being at the Liberian Embassy in Washington DC, and his second assignment to the Permanent Mission of Liberia to the United Nations. By the end of the previous administration, he had become the youngest person in the country’s history to be named Minister of State without Portfolio, as well as the youngest person to serve as Chairman of the Board of the Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC).
As the Principal Advisor and Project Manager to the President of the Republic of Liberia, Dr. Moniba was a leading figure on major investment and infrastructure developments in Liberia from 2014 – 2018 while leading the nation’s Diaspora Engagement Unit, the Philanthropy Secretariat and the President’s Delivery Unit.
His previous roles also include working with the African Development Bank’s High-Level Panel on Post Conflict & Fragile States, as well as the United Nations Post-2015 Development Agenda. Academically, he received his first Master in Government, and his second from Harvard University’s Kennedy School with a Master in Public Administration, graduating with summa cum laude honors (4.0 GPA). He also has a Doctorate in Rhetoric and Professional Communications from New Mexico State University, again graduating with summa cum laude honors.
Having served as the youngest member of the previous administration’s cabinet where he oversaw hundreds of millions of dollars in national infrastructure projects while also helping to secure hundreds of millions of dollars in bi-lateral and multilateral aid, Dr. Moniba has played a major role in some of the most consequential projects in Liberia’s recent history to include:
- Mt. Coffee Hydro Power Plant
- The Lofa Road (Phase 1)
- The CLSG Electricity Line (part of the West Africa Power Pool)
- The Roberts International Airport Reconstruction and Terminal Building
- White Plains Water Facility
- The National Fiber Optic Connectivity Project
- The ELWA – Coca-Cola Rd
- The Japanese Highway
Other national projects in agriculture (the acquisition of rice mills in collaboration with the African Development Bank) and the renovation of the Monrovia Vocational Technical College – MVTC – (in partnership with the People’s Republic of China) have all been initiatives that Dr. Moniba successfully negotiated and/or implemented alongside his government colleagues under the administration of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
Dr. Moniba has also served on several internationally recognized Boards which include CARE International Global Advisory Board, (CARE is one of the longest serving and largest non-governmental organization in the United States) and is also a Board Member of Population Institute (also based in the United States) which has operations and outreach in over 30 countries.
In 2010, Dr. Moniba established the Moniba Foundation, which serves at the grassroots level. Programming includes scholarships at the university level and financial support towards early childhood education; support to farmers in the rural areas; material support to clinics and health facilities in rural areas; vocational training for the youth; and advocacy in gender equality, education and health-related issues. The Moniba Foundation has also made significant material support towards police stations in Monrovia, and continues to provide microloans to market women in both urban and rural areas.
In 2018, the Government of Liberia awarded Dr. Moniba with the Knight Commander of the Most Venerable Order of Pioneers for his outstanding and distinguished service in government.
Dr. Moniba is a father of one – Miles K. Moniba.
Dr. Moniba is the youngest son of Dr. Harry F. Moniba and Minita K. Moniba. In following his father’s footsteps, who served with distinction and honor as Vice President of Liberia (1984 – 1990), Dr. Clarence Moniba has committed his life and career to ensuring a more developed, educated and prosperous Liberia – for all Liberians.
