WASHINGTON, D.C. – Liberian President Joseph Nyuma Boakai on Wednesday, July 9, 2025, joined fellow African leaders at the White House for a high-level U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit hosted by President Donald J. Trump. The summit, which brought together heads of state from Liberia, Gabon, Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, and Mauritania, centered on expanding economic partnerships and strengthening cooperation on peace and security across the continent.
At the summit’s opening session, President Boakai made a strong case for increased U.S. investment in Liberia, with a particular focus on the mining sector. He called on the United States to assist in conducting a comprehensive geological survey of Liberia’s mineral deposits, an effort he said would lay the foundation for mutually beneficial economic engagement.
“We are open for partnership and welcome U.S. investments to help map and develop our untapped natural resources,” Boakai said, underscoring Liberia’s strategic openness to American business and technology.
President Trump responded with praise for Boakai’s presentation, noting his impressive command of the English language and his ability to clearly articulate Liberia’s development agenda. “President Boakai delivered a very persuasive message about Liberia’s potential,” Trump remarked, highlighting the nation’s natural wealth and investment opportunities.
Throughout the summit, Trump emphasized Africa’s untapped potential, calling it a continent of “very valuable land, great minerals, great oil deposits, and wonderful people.” He stated that the U.S. would continue to facilitate peace efforts in Sudan and Libya, and announced an upcoming peace agreement between the presidents of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda.
Other African leaders echoed President Boakai’s call for stronger U.S. economic engagement. Gabonese President Brice Oligui Nguema stressed that Africa is not poor but rich in resources that must be processed locally. He invited American investors to enter the energy sector and warned that if the U.S. does not act quickly, other nations may seize the opportunity. Mauritania’s President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani promoted his country’s reserves of manganese and lithium, while Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye encouraged tech companies to make Dakar a hub for innovation and investment.
Visa overstay issues were also briefly addressed, with Trump acknowledging the topic as part of the ongoing dialogue between the U.S. and African nations.
The summit ended with a mutual reaffirmation of stronger U.S.-Africa ties and a shared desire to deepen trade and investment. President Trump expressed optimism that the summit would serve as a springboard for more concrete partnerships between the United States and African countries in the months ahead.
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