PHOTO: President Joseph Boakai speaking during his Cabinet meeting this week
Executive Mansion Press Release
Thursday, March 26, 2026
Executive Mansion, Monrovia–President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., has vowed that his Administration will do all within its authority to protect the natural resources of Liberia.
“This Administration is committed to making sure that we protect the resources of our country,” the President remarked.
President Boakai made the commitment today when he addressed the opening session of the third Cabinet Meeting of 2026 held under the theme: “Positioning Liberia for Mineral-Led Development and National Prosterity. Govermance, Growth, and Accountability in Liberia’s Mineral Sector.”
This meeting focused on Strengthening Governance and Legal Frameworks for the Mining Sector, Finalization of Gold Refinery Regulation, and Updates of the Exploration Regulation Office of the Director General and as well as the Development of a New Mining Law and finalization of General Mining Regulations; and also Institutional Reforms and Sector Formalization
by Amendment of the Whistleblower Act to incentivize reporting and combat smuggling and Frarnework for the Formalization of the ASM Sector.
The Chair of the Cabinet and President of Republic asserted that one of the Government’s biggest challenges to Protecting Liberia’s resources is limited transparency in the mining sector. “Often, we do not fully know what resources are being extracted. While companies may declare iron ore, other valuable minerals may also be involved, the Liberian Leader suspected.
He cautioned that this is why emphasis must be placed on investing in training Liberians in critical fields such as geology, mining engineering, and resource management. He opined that strengthening local expertise will endure scrupulous monitoring activities effectively so as to protect national interests.”
The President admonished members of the Cabinet to interrogate themselves on how Liberians are benefiting from the exploration of the country’s natural resources.
Said President Boakai, “As we examine resource exploitation, we must always ask: how are our people benefiting? Issu
He averred that previous mining agreements that didn’t capture infrastructure development have made it difficult for Liberia to benefit from the full potential of its natural resources.
“We must also recognize the realities of agreements signed by previous administrations. Infrastructure challenges, such as those involving the road to Tubmanburg, are often tied to mining concessions that anticipated heavy transportation of minerals,” the President observed.
The President however intimated that his Administration is not going to pose excuses for not transforming the system. He clarified, “We’re not going to say this is how we met it, and this is how it is going to be forever, acknowledging that Government is continuity.
He therefore urged the Cabinet must honor those commitments while ensuring better outcomes for our people.
He added that while the Government may seek to push for improvements, it must also be reasonable to know that investors operate within agreements that allow them to make profits.
Learning from global best practices in resource ranagement in today’s world, he added that Government now have the opportunity to improve on managing the natural resources for to benefit the country.
The President urged the cabinet to redirect focus on how global practices can be applied to Liberia.
At the same time, President Boakai stressed the need for strengthening local government accountability. He stated that, at
the local level, governance structures exist, but their effectiveness is often limited.
The President further added that while some believe local officials are less corrupt, a perception he believed often exists due to limited scrutiny, he said in reality, some may be involved in illegal activities, including unauthorized mining.
In conclusion, President Boakai maintained that the ultimate responsibility lies with central government.
He said Liberia is fortunate to have abundant natural resources, assuring that his Government will strive to manage them wisely.