MONROVIA – Liberia’s age-old foreign direct investment quagmire has been consistent failures by concessionaries to add value and diversify, resulting into capital flight and domestic growth stagnation. From the day the first major foreign capitalist set foot on this soil to this day 99 years ago, the country’s “partners in progress” continue to export crude and raw materials out of the country, leaving behind holes, grasslands and fallows, undermining mass employment and stymying national economic development. But it seems the glass ceiling is about to be broken; thanks to Mano Manufacturing Company which has announced an unprecedented trait of a typical Liberian foreign investment – Mano is expected to turn crude palm oil into various refined bottle-born oil products. The Analyst reports. Read article below:
From Seed to Bottle: Liberia’s First Palm Oil Refinery
In the fertile heart of Liberia, where palm seeds are cultivated with care and harvested with pride, a new chapter is unfolding. For decades, Liberia’s crude palm oil has been exported in its raw form—unrefined and without capturing its full economic value. That era is ending.
Mano Manufacturing Company is proud to announce the development of Liberia’s first palm oil refinery, a transformative investment that marks a new era of industrial self-sufficiency and national value creation.
Scheduled for commissioning in November 2025, the refinery will convert locally produced crude palm oil into refined, bleached, and deodorized (RBD) palm oil, olein, and stearin — high-quality derivatives aligned with international standards. This is more than an industrial milestone. It is a strategic commitment to retaining value within Liberia and empowering its people.
The refinery’s impact will be far-reaching:
Economic Empowerment: It will create hundreds of direct and indirect jobs, strengthen domestic supply chains, and reduce dependence on imported edible oils. Local smallholders will be integrated into a traceable, transparent value chain, benefiting from stable markets and equitable pricing.
Human Capital Development: Mano is investing in skills training and career pathways for young Liberians — nurturing not just workers, but future leaders in manufacturing, logistics, quality assurance, and technical trades.
Community Transformation: Families in regions like Bomi and Grand Cape Mount will see new sources of income and opportunity. For the first time, Liberians will consume locally refined cooking oil — proudly produced on their own land, by their own people.
Sustainability Leadership: Built to meet international best practices, the refinery will adhere to RSPO standards and a rigorous No Deforestation, No Peat, No Exploitation (NDPE) policy, demonstrating that industrial progress and environmental stewardship can and must coexist.
At Mano Manufacturing Company, we believe the true value of palm oil is not in its export — but in its power to elevate a nation. That is why we are committed to every step of the journey — from seed to bottle, sustainably and proudly in Liberia.
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