Buchanan, Grand Bassa County – ArcelorMittal Liberia (AML), in collaboration with the Government of Liberia, has officially launched the 2025 cycle of its Community Development Fund (CDF), reinforcing its commitment to community empowerment and sustainable development across its operational counties.
The formal launch event took place on Friday, May 23, 2025, at the K-Plaza Hotel in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County. It brought together more than 50 key stakeholders, including representatives of AML, local government officials, district lawmakers, civil society actors, and community leaders from the fence-line areas in Nimba, Bong, and Grand Bassa counties.
The CDF was established in August 2020 as part of AML’s Mineral Development Agreement (MDA) with the Government of Liberia. It is financed through 20 percent of the $3 million AML contributes annually to the County Social Development Fund (CSDF). The fund’s distribution follows the operational footprint of the company: Nimba receives 50 percent, Grand Bassa 33.3 percent, and Bong County 16.7 percent.
The Fund is governed by a set of Management Guidelines jointly developed and endorsed by the Government of Liberia and AML. These guidelines ensure transparency and accountability in project selection, implementation, reporting, and monitoring. They serve as a framework for ensuring that resources are used efficiently and in line with community development priorities.
At the launch event, stakeholders reviewed the implementation report from the 2024 funding cycle and engaged in productive discussions about ongoing and future projects. They also endorsed proposed amendments to the CDF Management Guidelines and made key recommendations aimed at improving fund governance and execution.
Participants also used the opportunity to assess the impact of past CDF-supported projects, including more than 30 completed infrastructure initiatives since the Fund’s inception. These include the construction of roads and bridges, schools, clinics, health centers, and town halls in communities across the three beneficiary counties.
Speaking at the event, representatives of AML reaffirmed the company’s dedication to improving the lives of Liberians in its host communities. They emphasized that the CDF remains a critical vehicle for delivering visible development benefits and promoting community ownership of projects.
Local leaders and county authorities hailed the initiative as a model for concession-community collaboration and called for continued partnership to ensure the timely and quality execution of 2025 projects.
With the new funding cycle now formally underway, implementation of selected projects is expected to begin soon, guided by lessons from the previous year and an improved governance framework that prioritizes transparency, accountability, and impact.
ArcelorMittal Liberia is the leading mining company operating in Liberia. As part of its corporate social responsibility commitments, the company contributes annually to the County Social Development Fund (CSDF) to support development initiatives in the three counties impacted by its operations: Nimba, Grand Bassa, and Bong. Each year, Nimba receives $1.5 million, Grand Bassa $1 million, and Bong County $500,000.
However, for many years, these funds—though substantial—often failed to directly impact the communities closest to AML’s operations, particularly those along the railway corridor and in the mountainous mining zones of Nimba. To address this gap, AML and the Government of Liberia reached an agreement in 2020 for the company to withhold 20 percent of each county’s CSDF allocation to directly implement projects in the most affected “fence-line” communities.
This initiative not only ensures that development resources reach the communities most exposed to mining activities, but also demonstrates AML’s proactive commitment to inclusive, equitable, and accountable development. By aligning its social investment with the real needs of its host communities, ArcelorMittal Liberia continues to strengthen its reputation as a responsible corporate partner and a catalyst for sustainable development in Liberia.
