{"id":19060,"date":"2026-04-01T21:45:49","date_gmt":"2026-04-01T21:45:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nfic2026.com\/?p=19060"},"modified":"2026-04-01T21:45:49","modified_gmt":"2026-04-01T21:45:49","slug":"liberia-opens-fisheries-to-global-investment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nfic2026.com\/it\/press-release\/liberia-opens-fisheries-to-global-investment\/","title":{"rendered":"Liberia Opens Fisheries To Global Investment"},"content":{"rendered":"

HARBEL, Margibi County<\/strong> \u2014 President Joseph Nyuma Boakai opened Liberia\u2019s flagship fisheries investment forum with a direct appeal to global capital, declaring the country ready for large-scale private sector engagement while cautioning against exploitative partnerships.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are open for business, but we are not open for exploitation,\u201d Boakai said Monday at the National Fisheries Investment Conference 2026, held at the Farmington Hotel. \u201cWe want partners who will build local capacity, respect our environmental standards, and share the benefits with our communities.\u201d<\/p>\n

The National Fisheries Investment Conference was organized by the government of Liberia, the World Bank through its Liberia Sustainable Fisheries Management Project (LSFMP) and other development partners.<\/p>\n

Positioning Liberia as an emerging frontier in West Africa\u2019s blue economy, the president framed the conference not as a routine policy gathering but as a strategic pivot toward investment-led transformation.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe foundations have been laid. The opportunities are expanding. The time to invest in Liberia\u2019s fisheries is now,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

A Sector Defined by Contradiction<\/strong><\/p>\n

Liberia is a country endowed with rich marine resources yet heavily dependent on imports and constrained by weak infrastructure.<\/p>\n

\u201cLiberia possesses 579 kilometers of coastline and vast marine resources,\u201d he said. \u201cYet we import more than 33,000 metric tons of fish annually, and much of our high-value catch is landed in foreign ports because we lack the necessary facilities.\u201d<\/p>\n

He pointed to systemic gaps affecting small-scale fishers, who produce the bulk of domestic supply but operate without cold storage, modern equipment, or access to digital systems.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur artisanal fishers provide about 80 percent of our domestic production,\u201d Boakai said. \u201cYet they operate without adequate storage, without modern tools, and too often without the dignity they deserve.\u201d<\/p>\n

NaFAA Sets the Investment Agenda<\/strong><\/p>\n

Providing the technical backbone to the president\u2019s pitch, J. Cyrus Saygbe Sr., Director General of the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA), described the conference as a decisive shift from rhetoric to execution.<\/p>\n

\u201cToday, we move from potential to plan, and from plan to action,\u201d Saygbe said in his welcome address.<\/p>\n

He laid out the scale of Liberia\u2019s untapped fisheries wealth, noting that the country\u2019s waters contain hundreds of thousands of metric tons of commercially viable fish species, yet the sector continues to underperform due to illegal fishing, limited processing capacity, and weak infrastructure.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor too long, the full value of this blue bounty has not been captured by the Liberian people,\u201d he said. \u201cThis conference is our collective decision to end this era.\u201d<\/p>\n

Saygbe outlined a series of investment-ready opportunities, including development of an industrial fishing harbor with integrated cold-chain systems, expansion of aquaculture to reduce pressure on marine stocks, and modernization of landing sites and processing facilities.<\/p>\n

He emphasized that the government\u2019s role would center on governance, infrastructure, and regulatory stability, while the private sector would bring capital, technology, and operational expertise.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are not asking investors to walk this path alone,\u201d he said. \u201cWe are committed to partnership.\u201d<\/p>\n

Finance Ministry: \u2018A Case of Underinvestment\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n

Delivering remarks on behalf of Finance Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan, the Deputy Minister for Economic Management, Mr. Dephue Zuo, framed Liberia\u2019s fisheries challenge as structural rather than natural.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is not about resource scarcity,\u201d he said. \u201cIt is about systemic underinvestment.\u201d<\/p>\n

He detailed the economic inefficiencies across the sector, noting that fisheries currently contribute only about 2 percent to GDP, while export earnings remain modest despite strong global demand for seafood.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur fishermen are working with artisanal equipment, our processing capacity is limited, and we lose up to 40 percent of our catch due to post-harvest losses,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He added that with targeted investment in cold storage, processing infrastructure, and value chain development, Liberia could significantly increase export earnings and create thousands of jobs, particularly for young people and women.<\/p>\n

\u201cFisheries offers a rapid return on strategic investment,\u201d he said. \u201cThis is a sector that can generate jobs, boost exports, and strengthen our economy within a short period.\u201d<\/p>\n

Regional Leaders Call for Coordination and Reform<\/strong><\/p>\n

The conference drew strong endorsements from regional ministers, who emphasized that Liberia\u2019s ambitions are inseparable from broader West African cooperation.<\/p>\n

Hon. Adegboyega Oyetola, Nigeria\u2019s Minister of Marine and Blue Economy and Chairman of the Fisheries Committee for the West and Central Gulf of Guinea (FCWC), described the sector as central to food security and employment across the region.<\/p>\n

\u201cMillions depend on fisheries for income and sustainability, yet the sector continues to face declining stocks, limited investment, and weak infrastructure,\u201d Oyetola said.<\/p>\n

He stressed that sustainable management, increased investment across the value chain, and regional collaboration are essential to unlocking the sector\u2019s full potential.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo single country can tackle illegal fishing alone,\u201d he said. \u201cStronger regional cooperation is essential.\u201d<\/p>\n

From Ghana, Hon. Emelia Arthur, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, characterized Liberia\u2019s move as a defining moment.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is not just a conference,\u201d she said. \u201cIt is a declaration that Liberia is choosing to unlock its blue horizon.\u201d<\/p>\n

Arthur highlighted the importance of institutional strength, scientific research, and stakeholder engagement, noting that Ghana\u2019s own progress in the blue economy has been driven by coordinated policy and political commitment.<\/p>\n

\u201cA blue economy without strong institutions is only an aspiration,\u201d she said. \u201cWith strong institutions, it becomes transformation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hon. Kenyeh Laura Barlay, Sierra Leone\u2019s Minister of Planning and Economic Development, pointed to the shared coastline and economic interdependence between Liberia and Sierra Leone, describing the ocean as a \u201cpowerful engine for economic transformation.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOur coastlines form a contiguous stretch of nearly 1,000 kilometers,\u201d she said. \u201cThis presents immense opportunities for fisheries, aquaculture, and maritime trade.\u201d<\/p>\n

She noted that while Liberia has abundant fish stocks, its per capita fish consumption remains lower than regional averages, signaling both a market gap and an opportunity for growth.<\/p>\n

Her colleague, Hon. Princess Dugba, Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources, reinforced the urgency of investment and management reforms.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe fish resources of Liberia are currently untapped,\u201d Dugba said. \u201cThis conference provides an opportunity to mobilize the investment needed to unlock that potential.\u201d<\/p>\n

She emphasized the importance of harmonized regional approaches, noting that shared marine ecosystems require coordinated governance and monitoring systems.<\/p>\n

Foreign Affairs: Investment Through Diplomacy<\/strong><\/p>\n

Representing Foreign Minister Sara Beysolow Nyanti, Deputy Minister Ibrahim Nyei said Liberia\u2019s fisheries push is aligned with its broader economic diplomacy strategy.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen the president declared Liberia open for business, it was a deliberate effort to attract credible partnerships,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He highlighted ongoing bilateral agreements and international cooperation frameworks aimed at promoting trade, investment, and technology transfer in sectors including fisheries and maritime governance.<\/p>\n

Communiqu\u00e9 Anchors Reform Agenda<\/strong><\/p>\n

The conference adopted a communiqu\u00e9 outlining a comprehensive reform and investment roadmap for Liberia\u2019s fisheries sector.<\/p>\n

Delegates called for urgent investment in fisheries data systems, digital monitoring, and scientific research to strengthen governance and combat illegal fishing, while also prioritizing aquaculture expansion, fish processing, and cold-chain infrastructure as key drivers of value addition.<\/p>\n

The communiqu\u00e9 further emphasized the need for innovative financing mechanisms, including sovereign blue bonds and credit guarantees, to unlock capital and scale the sector.<\/p>\n

It urged the Liberian government to increase budgetary allocations, strengthen institutional capacity, and operationalize a national blue economy strategy within 12 months.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

HARBEL, Margibi County \u2014 President Joseph Nyuma Boakai opened Liberia\u2019s flagship fisheries investment forum with a direct appeal to global capital, declaring the country ready for large-scale private sector engagement while cautioning against exploitative partnerships. \u201cWe are open for business, but we are not open for exploitation,\u201d Boakai said Monday at the National Fisheries Investment […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":19061,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19060","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-press-release"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nfic2026.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19060","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nfic2026.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nfic2026.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nfic2026.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nfic2026.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19060"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/nfic2026.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19060\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19062,"href":"https:\/\/nfic2026.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19060\/revisions\/19062"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nfic2026.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19061"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nfic2026.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19060"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nfic2026.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19060"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nfic2026.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19060"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}