YEKEPA, NIMBA COUNTY – President Joseph Nyuma Boakai says the construction and inauguration of the US$1.4 Billion ArcelorMittal Liberia (AML) Concentrator Plant in Nimba County indicates a strong vote of investor confidence in Liberia’s stability and future.
The state-of-the-art concentrator, one of the largest iron ore beneficiation plants in Africa, is the centerpiece of AML’s US$1.8 billion Phase II expansion project. The project is expected to boost the company’s annual iron ore production in Liberia from 5 million tons to 20 million tons, while significantly enhancing product quality to higher-grade, higher-value iron ore, according to the company.
Coming shortly after the company marked 20 years of mining operations in Liberia, the commissioning of the concentrator brings ArcelorMittal’s total investment in the country to approximately US$3 billion.
Speaking Thursday, June 5, 2025 at Mount Tokadeh Mining Site in Nimba County at the inauguration ceremony, the Liberian leader said the latest level of investment by ArcelorMittal is a testament to the growing confidence in the security and wellbeing of the state, and in the positive direction of Liberia’s investment climate.
He furthered, “We are proud to witness this expansion—an achievement that touches the lives of our people and represents progress not just in infrastructure, but in human capacity and national pride.”
The project has already created over 5,000 construction jobs and is expected to generate 1200 permanent positions. The Liberian Leader emphasized that the economic impact of such investment is far-reaching.
“This brings great relief to our economy. It’s not just about the scale of capital—it’s about the thousands of lives being touched, families being supported, and skills being developed,” the President noted.
The facility represents one of the largest private sector investments in Liberia’s postwar history and signals a renewed era of industrial development, job creation, and economic transformation.
The President’s visit included a guided tour of the newly completed facility which is scheduled to begin full operations later this month.
The plant, originally initiated in 2012, was paused due to the 2014 Ebola crisis. Construction resumed in 2021, integrating modern technology and updated engineering designs.
He commended ArcelorMittal Liberia for its vision and resilience, urging the company to continue advancing its additional investment commitments, including the Railway Expansion, Port Enhancement, and Power Plant Installations.
“We commend ArcelorMittal Liberia for this bold and courageous step, and we encourage continued momentum in all aspects of the company’s investment roadmap,” President Boakai said. “These projects are essential to deepening Liberia’s integration into global value chains and unlocking long-term benefits for our people,” he intoned.
He also emphasized the importance of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and encouraged the company to expand its support in areas such as education, healthcare, and local commerce, reinforcing the mutually beneficial nature of sustainable development.
“No doubt, a project of this magnitude must enrich the corporate social responsibility envelope,” he said, adding, “Our communities must feel the impact not just in employment, but in schools, clinics, and markets.”
President Boakai concluded by extending appreciation to all stakeholders, particularly the engineers, workers, and community members who contributed to the Project’s realization. He reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to honoring agreements and ensuring a stable environment for investment.
“We want to assure you that the benefits of this Project will be realized by our people,” he said. “We do not want any disruptions. We are committed to seeing this through—for the good of Liberia and the future of our younger generation,” he said.
Meanwhile, Nimba County Senator Nya D Twayen Jr. has opposed ArcelorMittal for failing to live up to terms and conditions of the Mineral Development Agreement. On his official Facebook Page post, Senator Twayen stated that even if ArcelorMittal dedicated another US$1 billion plant, if the conditions laid down by the Nimba County Legislative Caucus are not met, they will resist renewal.
He questions what shall it profit Nimba to have a billion-dollar property built by ArcelorMittal in what he calls “a filthy Yekepa that you have refused to renovate with a very bad road leading to the said billion-dollar property.”
“Look at the muddy road leading to and around the so-called billion-dollar installation. Shame; AML will have to yield to the peoples’ demands or leave; simple,” Senator Twayen stressed.
In a region rich with iron ore and long burdened by the footprints of multinational extraction, the Senator’s outcry resonates with the people’s demand for more than empty ribbon-cuttings. Yekepa, once a shining mining town, is now a shell of its past, with dilapidated buildings, muddy roads and a general air of abandonment. For many in Nimba, ArcelorMittal’s investment feels less like a catalyst for development and more like a monument to exploitation.
The message from the Senator and the local protesters who chanted “AML Must Go” ahead of President Boakai’s visit is unmistakable: the time for cosmetic development is over. Real benefits must reach the people.
President Boakai’s presence at the commissioning was meant to underscore his Administration’s commitment to economic revival through foreign investment. Indeed, ArcelorMittal’s global chairman, Mr. Lakshmi Mittal, expressed high hopes for Liberia, praising the Boakai leadership, celebrating Liberia’s election to the UN Security Council and aligning his company’s ambitions with the government’s ARREST Agenda. Mittal even announced plans to construct the long-overdue Ganta-Yekepa Road. But even that gesture, welcomed though it may be, comes across as too little, too late in the eyes of many Nimbaians who have endured years of unfulfilled promises.
ArcelorMittal Liberia is part of the ArcelorMittal group, the world’s leading steel and mining company and the leader in all major steel markets such as construction, domestic appliances, packaging, and automotive. The group has an industrial presence in more than 22 countries spanning four continents and covers all of the key steel markets, from emerging to mature.
ArcelorMittal has 119 million tons of annual steel production capacity and 245,000 employees across 60 countries. ArcelorMittal Liberia Ltd. was created in 2006 when a 25-year Mineral Development Agreement (MDA) to mine iron ore was signed between the Government of Liberia and ArcelorMittal.15M tons of concentrate ores annually.
