Hon. Joseta Neufville-Wento… Youngest and first female Head of a Road Fund in Liberia and Youngest Head in Africa.

Hon. Joseta Neufville-Wento, Manager of the National Road Fund, NRF, of Liberia, is the youngest Head of President Boakai’s government agency, the youngest and the first female Head of the NRF. She is also the youngest Head of a Road Fund Office in Africa.

By this description, Joseta has set an enviable and amiable record, unprecedented in professional road engagements and management in Africa

She is a Minerals and Energy Economist with a Master of Science Degree from Colorado School of Mines, USA, with a Bachelor of Science in Economics and Accounting with distinction from Cuttington University.

She is an Italian–trained bridge inspector and maintenance practitioner from the International Road Federation IRF Global, also in the USA.

She has been appointed as the chairperson of the Executive Committee for Membership fees, working with four focal groups of Central, East, South and West Africa.

At the 21st Annual General Assembly of the Africa Road Maintenance Fund Association ARMFA in Ivory Coast, Madam Wento was appointed as the Head of the Executive Committee to strengthen membership across Africa.

The ultimate goal of the ARMFA strategic committee is to devise a workable plan for membership fees, for a more inclusive and robust association.

Even before her current engagement, she was recruited by former President Sirleaf as part of the special recruit class 111 of the President’s Young Professionals PYP in 2012. Due to her all-around brilliance, Madam Sirleaf’s President Delivery Unit PDU assigned her to monitor the annual five priority projects, to resolve all bottlenecks on roads, energy, ports, health and youth empowerment.

She was successful in all five sectors, submitting a bi-weekly briefing to then President Sirleaf and then Vice President, now President Boakai on the states of these projects. Besides her academic background, she led the team from the Ministry of Public Works to operationalize the Road Fund and was part of the team to recruit the First Road Fund’s Manager. The Board seconded her to serve as the Chief Administrative Officer of the NRF from May 2018 to April 2023, due to her foundational expertise and understanding of the NRF’s establishment.

Additionally, her experience in the road sector as Chief of Staff to two Public Works Ministers, W. Gyude Moore and the late Mabutu Viah Nyenpan, demonstrates her preparedness for her current position as NRF Manager.

As a Manager, Mrs Wento pledged her unwavering support to HE President Joseph Boakai-led administration in addressing issues with road connectivity and reforms, to make the NRF autonomous, and to promote efficiency to achieve value for money at NRF.