YEKEPA, NIMBA COUNTY – Liberia marked a major milestone in its industrial development on June 5, 2025, with the official commissioning of ArcelorMittal Liberia’s state-of-the-art concentrator plant in Yekepa. Speaking at the ceremony, Nimba County Superintendent Madam Kou Meapeh Gono hailed the moment as a pivotal step in the country’s journey toward value addition, economic inclusivity, and industrial transformation.
Addressing a distinguished audience that included President Joseph Nyuma Boakai and Vice President Jeremiah Kpan Koung, Madam Gono welcomed the event as a symbol of Liberia’s post-conflict progress. She commended ArcelorMittal Liberia for its early investment in 2005, when the country was emerging from years of civil unrest, and emphasized that the commissioning of the plant signals a shift from exporting raw materials to processing resources domestically, an advancement she described as critical to national development.
While acknowledging ArcelorMittal’s long-standing partnership with Liberia, the Superintendent was clear in her call for a renegotiation of the existing Mineral Development Agreement to reflect Liberia’s growth as a stable democracy. She urged that future agreements prioritize the rights and needs of Liberian workers and communities and align with the Local Government Act and the Revenue Sharing Law. These laws, she noted, empower county administrations to manage public funds and development planning, not private concessionaires.
In her address, Madam Gono also emphasized the importance of enforcing Liberia’s labor and mining laws to ensure that qualified Liberians are given first preference in employment opportunities. She advocated for the inclusion of local authorities and affected communities in any future MDA negotiations to ensure that grassroots concerns are heard and addressed.
The Superintendent called on ArcelorMittal to expand its corporate social responsibility commitments by increasing contributions to the County Social Development Fund. She argued that the scale of operations must be matched by proportional investments in infrastructure, healthcare, education, and skills training for residents of host communities.
Turning to the youth of Nimba, Madam Gono offered words of encouragement and caution. She acknowledged the grievances raised by young people regarding ArcelorMittal’s operations and clarified that many of those speaking out are not opposition members, but loyal supporters of the Boakai administration. She urged the government and the company to address those concerns through constructive dialogue and to include their perspectives in the next round of MDA negotiations.
Superintendent Gono concluded by calling for a new era of transparent, inclusive, and respectful partnership among ArcelorMittal, the Government of Liberia, and the people of Nimba. She said the commissioning of the concentrator plant should be more than a technical achievement; it should be the beginning of a more just and mutually beneficial relationship.
