A new partnership between Liberia’s fisheries regulator and a major humanitarian organization signals a deliberate turn toward investment-led growth. The target is a long-neglected sector. The agreement binds the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority and Mercy Corps to a shared push for market intelligence and inclusive opportunity. Its significance lies less in the ceremony than in what it targets. It aims at the structural weaknesses that keep small producers poor and post-harvest losses high. By centering hard data on prices, demand and supply, the pact seeks to arm investors and policymakers with tools they have lacked. Whether the framework ultimately translates into jobs and income will depend entirely on execution, as THE ANALYST reports.
The National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA) and the humanitarian organization Mercy Corps have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) aimed at strengthening collaboration and expanding investment across Liberia’s fisheries and aquaculture sector.
The agreement, signed at NaFAA headquarters near the Freeport of Monrovia, establishes a framework for joint efforts to identify investment opportunities, strengthen value chains, mobilize resources and create jobs.
The partnership is intended to increase incomes and contribute to Liberia’s broader economic development agenda. It places market intelligence and inclusive growth at the center of the two institutions’ collaboration.
Mercy Corps Deepens Engagement
Mercy Corps Director of Programs Jacob A. Sambolah described the partnership as a strategic opportunity to deepen the organization’s contribution to Liberia’s development. He highlighted the potential of fisheries and aquaculture to create employment, generate income and strengthen livelihoods, with particular interest in aquaculture value chains.
Sambolah said Mercy Corps had already undertaken work in the sector but wanted to deepen its engagement and identify opportunities that could be scaled. He said the organization would align its existing programs with NaFAA’s institutional mandate and work jointly to expand successful interventions.
NaFAA Emphasizes Strategic Partnership
NaFAA Director General J. Cyrus Saygbe, Sr., welcomed the partnership, saying the Authority was deliberately building relationships with development institutions whose expertise and resources could complement government efforts.
He said the collaboration would strengthen coordination through NaFAA’s Fisheries Development Partners Coordination Group, a quarterly platform for development partners.
Saygbe identified market intelligence as one of the immediate areas where the partnership could deliver value. He said reliable information on fish prices, demand, supply and market trends was essential for producers, investors, policymakers and financial institutions to make informed decisions.
Focus On Market Intelligence
Under the agreement, NaFAA and Mercy Corps will collaborate on a market intelligence study covering Liberia’s fisheries and aquaculture sector. The study will focus on market opportunities, constraints, investment priorities and pathways for inclusive growth.
The collaboration will assess enterprise development, including viable business models, cooperative structures and value-addition pathways for small-scale producers. The parties will also examine opportunities to strengthen cold-chain systems to reduce post-harvest losses and improve product quality.
Gender Inclusion A Priority
Gender mainstreaming will form another component of the partnership. The collaboration will seek to identify barriers limiting women’s participation and leadership in fisheries and aquaculture and develop approaches that promote more inclusive market systems.
The initial geographic focus of the study will cover Sinoe, Grand Cape Mount, Grand Bassa/Montserrado, Bong and Nimba counties, subject to final validation by both parties. The findings are expected to inform concept notes, funding proposals, investment cases and implementation roadmaps for priority opportunities.
Complementary Roles Defined
Under the MOU, Mercy Corps will provide technical expertise in market intelligence, gender mainstreaming, value-chain analysis and business-case development. Subject to internal approvals and available resources, it may also support studies, consultants, proposal development and dissemination of findings.
NaFAA will provide sector leadership, technical guidance, institutional oversight and validation. The Authority will facilitate access to relevant information, stakeholders and institutions required to implement the study.
Saygbe assured Mercy Corps of NaFAA’s readiness to jointly develop concept notes and funding proposals for resource mobilization. He also welcomed the leadership of Liberian professionals within the Mercy Corps team, describing the partnership as an opportunity for Liberians to advance national development priorities.