MONROVIA – Liberia took its resource pitch to New York on the eve of the UN General Assembly. Mines and Energy Minister R. Matenokay Tingban led with minerals and power. He described Liberia’s mineral wealth as significant but largely under-explored. His answer is better geological data, backed by partners with advanced technology. He tied electrification directly to industrialization, citing a 75 percent access target by 2030. A multi-user rail system and a new National Rail Authority complete the offer. Finance, carbon and telecoms officials then added bonds, carbon markets and data centers. On paper, the pitch is coherent. Its credibility now rests on concrete deals, delivered projects and measurable outcomes for Liberians. THE ANALYST reports.
NEW YORK, September 21, 2026 – The Government of Liberia has presented key investment opportunities during a high-level roundtable of international investors and business leaders held under the theme “Liberia Investment Roundtable.”
The event was held in New York on September 21, 2026, and organized by Liberia’s National Investment Commission (NIC) in collaboration with the Office of the Senior Political Advisor to the President, Honorable MacDella M. Cooper.
The roundtable served as a strategic platform to present Liberia’s investment priorities, emerging opportunities and reform agenda to international investors and business leaders.
Held on the eve of the 2026 United Nations General Assembly, the event brought together senior Liberian government officials, investors, financial institutions and private-sector representatives.
The Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) participated as part of the Government’s broader effort to promote responsible private investment and mobilize capital for sectors critical to national development.
The Ministry was specifically invited to present Liberia’s mining and energy investment opportunities. The roundtable also covered agriculture and agro-processing, infrastructure, manufacturing, logistics, Information and Communications Technology (ICT), digital and financial services, tourism and industrial development.
Tingban Showcases Mineral Potential
Representing the MME, Minister of Mines and Energy Honorable R. Matenokay Tingban made a substantive presentation on Liberia’s mineral and energy potential and opportunities for strategic investment.
The Minister expounded on Liberia’s natural resources and emphasized that those God-given natural resources should serve as a foundation for economic transformation through responsible investment, job creation, infrastructure development, value addition, technology transfer and increased economic participation.
He highlighted Liberia’s significant but largely under-explored mineral potential and emphasized the Government’s priority to strengthen geological and scientific data as the basis for responsible investment.
Tingban informed the gathering that the MME is engaging institutions with advanced technologies to support geological and geophysical studies, resource definition and the generation of reliable data to guide investment decisions.
He outlined opportunities in critical and industrial minerals, base metals, rare earths and other critical elements, bauxite and heavy coastal mineral sands, while encouraging strategic investors and technology companies to explore partnerships in geological studies, mineral development, processing and beneficiation, infrastructure, technology transfer and skills development.
Power, Rail and Industrialization
On energy, Tingban linked Liberia’s electrification agenda directly to industrialization and private investment.
He highlighted the need for additional generation, transmission and distribution capacity to provide reliable power for mining, manufacturing, agriculture, data centers and other productive activities.
Tingban indicated that Liberia is pursuing increased electricity access, including a target of 75 percent by 2030, while creating opportunities for private-sector participation in generation and grid infrastructure.
He also highlighted the development of a multi-user rail system as an important component of Liberia’s mining and investment infrastructure.
He noted that the Government has established the National Rail Authority and is working toward broader and equitable access to rail infrastructure to reduce infrastructure constraints on mining and other productive sectors.
In response to questions from investors on power availability, geological and geospatial data, public-private partnerships, rail access, telecommunications, capital-market development and financial inclusion, the ministers of finance, mines and energy, and posts and telecommunications responded on the Government’s ongoing reforms and expressed its readiness to facilitate direct engagement between prospective investors and relevant Liberian institutions.
The delegation made the case to investors on complementary areas necessary to support investment, including public-private partnerships, roads, ports, agriculture, access to finance, capital markets, telecommunications and digital infrastructure.
Discussions also addressed land access and community engagement to facilitate responsible agricultural and industrial investment.
Carbon, Bonds and Data Centers
Honorable Jeanine M. Cooper, CEO and Special Envoy for Climate Action and Carbon Trading, highlighted Liberia’s emerging green economy and carbon market, including efforts to establish a nationally integrated carbon program, a national carbon registry, digital architecture, and systems for project crediting and verification.
She also highlighted opportunities in renewable energy, forest conservation, reforestation, biodiesel production and other green investments, as well as plans for a Green Carbon Investment Fund and Liberia’s preparations for a green bond.
Furthermore, Minister of Finance and Development Planning Honorable Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan highlighted the implementation of the Securities Market Act, the development of the regulatory framework, investor protection and disclosure requirements, and the establishment of structures needed to support a functioning securities market.
Preliminary discussions indicated that a green bond could be pursued in early to mid-2027, with a potential size of approximately US$100 million (L$18.24 billion) to US$150 million (L$27.35 billion), followed by consideration of a blue bond.
Additionally, Minister of Posts and Telecommunications Honorable Sekou M. Kromah highlighted digital infrastructure as another emerging investment area. Kromah made Liberia’s case, stressing the need for a national data center, stronger data security and telecommunications infrastructure, as well as opportunities created by the country’s cybersecurity, data protection, e-government and data governance frameworks.
What Liberia Stands to Benefit
The engagement provides Liberia with an opportunity to convert international investor interest into concrete project discussions and partnerships in the coming months.
Potential benefits include increased investment in mining and geological data development, energy generation and grid infrastructure, multi-user rail, agriculture and agro-processing, green and carbon finance, capital-market development, telecommunications and digital infrastructure.
The engagement is also expected to strengthen connections between international investors and Liberian institutions, support project identification and due diligence, and advance discussions on investment structuring and public-private partnerships.
For the MME, the engagement provides a platform to pursue strategic partnerships that can accelerate geological exploration, mineral development, energy infrastructure and value addition.
The roundtable presents an important step toward attracting responsible investment, creating jobs, strengthening infrastructure, expanding value addition and supporting sustainable economic growth in Liberia.
In his closing statement, Tingban reaffirmed Liberia’s readiness to work with credible investors and strategic partners.
He called for the discussions to translate into concrete partnerships, investments and measurable development outcomes in the mining and energy sectors for the Liberian people.