MONROVIA – The Governance Commission (GC), in collaboration with the National Bureau of Concessions (NBC), National Investment Commission (NIC), Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI), Liberia Chamber of Commerce (LCC) and World Bank has validated Liberia’s Draft Local Content Policy and Supplier Development Portal in Monrovia.
By Emmanuel Weedee-Conway
The validation, which was done through the Liberia Investment, Finance and Trade Project (LIFT-P), was held Thursday, May 27 at the Mamba Point Hotel in Monrovia.
Speaking at the occasion, Acting Chairman of the Governance Commission, Alaric K. Tokpa, described the initiative as a “defining moment” in Liberia’s effort to build a more inclusive and economically resilient nation.
“Today’s engagement represents a defining moment in Liberia’s ongoing efforts to build a stronger, more inclusive, and economically resilient nation,” Mr. Tokpa said.
“It is a moment that challenges us to rethink how investment, concession operations, and economic growth can deliver direct and sustainable benefits to Liberian businesses, workers, and communities.”
The forum brought together senior government officials, lawmakers, diplomats, private sector actors, development partners, civil society representatives and members of the business community to review and validate what officials described as a major national framework intended to strengthen Liberian participation in the country’s economy.
Mr. Tokpa noted that although Liberia has attracted substantial foreign investment in strategic sectors over the years, local businesses have continued to face limited participation in procurement opportunities, subcontracting arrangements and value-added production.
“Many local businesses continue to face barriers related to access to finance, technical capacity, standards compliance, information unevenness, and limited integration into supply chains,” he explained.
The GC acting head stated that the Draft Local Content Policy seeks to create a national framework that encourages local procurement, promotes technology transfer, strengthens domestic industries and empowers Liberian-owned enterprises to participate meaningfully in the economy.
He also highlighted the importance of the Supplier Development Portal, describing it as an innovative digital platform designed to connect Liberian Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) with concessionaires, investors, and procurement opportunities across multiple sectors.
“The platform seeks to strengthen business linkages, improve transparency in procurement processes, provide supplier training opportunities and equip local enterprises with the tools and information necessary to become competitive and tender-ready,” Mr. Tokpa stated.
The Acting GC Chairman further emphasized that the initiative aligns with the broader objectives of the World Bank-supported Liberia Investment, Finance and Trade Project (LIFT-P), which focuses on improving Liberia’s investment climate, expanding access to finance, strengthening trade efficiency and promoting private sector-led economic growth.
“Local content is not simply about procurement preferences,” Tokpa declared. “It is about economic justice. It is about national empowerment. It is about creating systems that intentionally build Liberian capacity, strengthen Liberian entrepreneurship, and ensure that the benefits derived from our natural resources and investments translate into tangible improvements in the lives of our people.”
In remarks, Governance Commission Vice Chairperson, Sianeh S. Juah, described the workshop as “historic” and aligned with President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development (AAID).
“This gathering is more than a meeting—it is a shared commitment to ensuring that our nation’s resources translate into real opportunities for our citizens,” Madam Juah said.
She noted that Liberia’s current local content arrangements remain fragmented under various sector-specific laws and concession agreements, resulting in inconsistencies and weak enforcement.
“Most Micro and Small Medium Enterprises in Liberia lack the technical and managerial capabilities and the financial resources to tap into the vast opportunities provided by Foreign Direct Investment demand for goods and services,” she added.
Madam Juah stressed that a unified and effectively enforced Local Content Policy could redirect “hundreds of millions of dollars” in procurement opportunities toward Liberian businesses while creating “tens of thousands of skilled jobs” over the next decade.
According to her, the proposed policy aims to facilitate technology transfer, strengthen domestic markets, establish mandatory local participation benchmarks for future investments, and expand opportunities for Liberian enterprises and workers.
“Local content is not just about numbers or compliance,” she emphasized. “It is about building capacity, creating jobs, empowering local enterprises, and fostering innovation that reflects our unique strengths.”
Meanwhile, President of the Liberia Chamber of Commerce and Co-Chair of the Supplier Development Program, Natty O.B. Davis, underscored the importance of linking Liberian businesses to multinational corporations and major concession operations operating in the country.
Mr. Davis disclosed that the Supplier Development Program Steering Committee was approved earlier this year by President Joseph Boakai and is chaired by Minister of State for Presidential Affairs Mamaka Bility, with the Liberia Chamber of Commerce serving as co-chair.
“The genesis of the Supplier Development Program is to better link our domestic businesses, services suppliers, technical suppliers, and all of that to that multinational corporation or multinational environment,” Mr. Davis explained.
He stressed that Liberia must move beyond simply granting investment incentives without creating clear obligations for investors to engage local businesses.
“What are some of the conditions in those investment incentives that push their linkage with local businesses, with Liberian businesses?” Mr. Davis asked.
According to him, the validation workshop marks only the beginning of a much broader process.
“It is one thing to have a policy, but that policy now will require the regulations, the guidelines, and the procedures that enable the various institutions of government to actually make effective the goals and objectives contained in that local content policy,” he noted.
Grand Kru County Senator Numene T.H. Bartekwa, who chairs the Senate Committee on Concessions and Investment, also addressed the gathering and called for stronger legal mechanisms to ensure Liberians benefit directly from concession agreements and natural resource extraction.
“History tells us LAMCO operated for years, extracted our resources, and when they left, they left only holes,” Senator Bartekwa said. “The only way we will be able to get value for our resources is to add value to them here in Liberia.”
The senator criticized past concession arrangements that allowed companies to export raw materials without meaningful local processing or industrial development.
“It doesn’t make sense. All our resources are taken out,” he asserted. “We need to put conditions in these laws that will benefit our people and create employment for our people.”
Senator Bartekwa further pledged legislative support for transforming the local content framework into enforceable national laws.
“The Liberia Senate, by extension of the Legislature, will be the endpoint of this discussion because policies formulated at the end will be put into legal frameworks and enacted into laws,” he stated.
Also speaking, Laurene Guilao, Executive Council Member of the Liberia Chamber of Commerce, emphasized the need for practical systems to support local businesses beyond policy declarations alone.
“A successful local content framework cannot operate in isolation,” Madam Guilao said. “It must be supported by practical systems that help Liberian businesses become competitive, visible, financeable, and capable of meeting the standards required by concessionaires, multinational corporations, and large buyers.”
She noted that the Chamber’s 2026–2027 strategic activities include support for the Supplier Development Program, Public-Private Dialogue Framework, Investment and Diaspora Engagement Forums, and broader market access initiatives aimed at strengthening Liberian enterprises.
For his part, Leon Decontee Cruz II, Technical Advisor for the Regional Resource Governance Project at GIZ, praised the initiative as a “strategic milestone” toward a more inclusive and competitive Liberian economy.
“The local content policies provide the regulatory backbone, setting a clear expectation for the prioritization and integration of Liberian enterprises into international value chains,” Mr. Cruz stated.
He explained that the Supplier Development Portal would help reduce longstanding barriers limiting Liberian businesses’ access to procurement opportunities by introducing a centralized digital system that connects suppliers with public and private procurement processes.
“This framework expands market access beyond informal and fragmented networks into a structured and competitive procurement environment,” he added.
Participants at the workshop spent the day reviewing the draft policy framework, discussing implementation mechanisms, and providing recommendations aimed at strengthening the final document before it is submitted to Cabinet for endorsement.
Officials expressed optimism that once approved and implemented, the Local Content Policy and Supplier Development Portal could significantly expand opportunities for Liberian businesses, promote industrial growth, create jobs, and ensure that the country’s natural resources generate more tangible benefits for Liberian citizens.
