President Boakai to Inaugurate LIMEC 2026 as Liberia Enters a Defining Era for Mining and Energy
His Excellency Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., President of the Republic of Liberia, will formally open the Liberia International Mining & Energy Conference & Expo on 28 October in Monrovia
MONROVIA, Liberia, 30 September 2026 — His Excellency Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., President of the Republic of Liberia, will deliver the keynote address and officially declare open the Liberia International Mining & Energy Conference & Expo (LIMEC 2026) at The Farmington Hotel, Monrovia, on Wednesday 28 October 2026. The event is organised by the Ministry of Mines and Energy, the Liberia Chamber of Mines and AME Trade Ltd. Full details are available at www.limec-liberia.com.
The Presidential inauguration places LIMEC 2026 at the centre of Liberia’s national economic agenda. It comes at a moment when the country’s resource sector is changing faster than at any point in its post-war history: iron ore output is on course to rise several-fold, a new generation of critical minerals has been confirmed, and the Government has committed to a power system built on at least 75% renewable energy.
Held under the theme “Transforming Liberia’s Economy: Driving Development Through Sustainable Mining and Energy Investments”, LIMEC 2026 will bring together ministers, legislators, mining and energy operators, development finance institutions, investors and technical specialists from across Africa and beyond for two days of conference sessions and exhibition on 28–29 October.
A landmark moment for Liberia’s resource economy
The President’s decision to open the conference reflects the weight of what is now under way. Liberia’s iron ore sector — the largest source of foreign direct investment in the country since the end of the civil war, at more than US$3.5 billion — is entering a new phase. With further producers expected to come on stream and idle concessions returning to work, national output could reach 25–30 million tonnes a year, up from around 5 Mt historically.
Beyond iron ore, studies concluded in 2025 have confirmed significant deposits of lithium, cobalt, manganese, neodymium and uranium, with around US$3 billion in new investment projected. Gold production is set to grow, led by the New Liberty Gold Mine and the Dugbe project in southern Liberia.
The energy transformation is just as significant. The Saint Paul River holds an estimated 800 MW of hydropower potential. The national electrification strategy aims to add 172 MW of renewable capacity, taking installed capacity to 266 MW, while the CLSG interconnector links Liberia to power markets in Côte d’Ivoire, Sierra Leone and Guinea.
Two days that span the whole value chain
The opening ceremony on 28 October will hear a welcome from Hon. R. Matenokay Tingban, Minister of Mines and Energy, and an overview from Amara Kamara, President of the Liberia Chamber of Mines, before the President’s keynote and official declaration. Ministers and VIP guests will then take a guided tour of the exhibition floor.
Ten sessions follow over two days:
- Liberia’s Resource Revolution — a high-level roundtable on Liberia’s strategic vision for mining and energy, using mineral wealth to fund the energy transition, and the country’s critical minerals opportunity. Moderated by Dr. Nathaniel Blama, Executive Director, Liberia Chamber of Mines, with Amb. Simeon Moribah, Secretary-General, Mano River Union; Adama Soro, President, Burkina Faso Chamber of Mines and EFEDCOM; and Rees Mwasambili, Country Manager, African Development Bank.
- Iron Ore: Scaling Up for Global Markets — national output growth, the Ivanhoe Atlantic rail corridor and the global market outlook, with Erik Hedborg and Yusu Mao of CRU Group; Ismaël Diakité, SMB-Winning Consortium; Dr Amir Mirchi, CEO, Sarmin Metals; and Ahmed Ali Mohamed, Mantrac Liberia.
- Solar, Mini-Grids and Rural Electrification — the first solar IPP tender near Mount Coffee, mini-grids, battery storage and rural electrification finance, with Alieu Nyei, MCC; Chimaobi Omeye, Africa Minigrid Developers Association; and Ngozi Beckley-Lines, Sustainable Energy for All.
- Local Supply Chains, Skills and Technology — local suppliers, vocational training and technology transfer, with Raphael Frerking, Country Director, GIZ; Aliou Dia, Resident Representative, UNDP; Andrew Ayirebi, Weir; and Peter Raw, WBHO-SC.
- Mining and Energy Finance — project finance, the role of development finance institutions and ESG requirements, with Steven Makhongela, Head of Mining and Critical Minerals, DBSA.
- Powering Liberia’s Economic Transformation — the 75% renewable energy target, Saint Paul River hydropower and the CLSG interconnector. Moderated by Gus Gounue, LERC, with Gilles Matayron, EU Chargé d’Affaires a.i. to Liberia; Ing. Abel Didier Tella, ASEA APUA; Hassan Suma and Bamba Thiam, PowerGen; and Ngozi Beckley-Lines, SEforALL.
- Upstream and Downstream Petroleum — offshore exploration in the Liberia and Harper Basins, fuel storage and regional hub ambitions, with Karen Carlson, KC Geoscience Consulting.
- Energy for Mining — captive power, shared grid infrastructure and solar-hybrid solutions for mine sites.
- Gold, Diamonds and Artisanal Mining — formalisation, the US$32 million mercury-reduction programme and the Kimberley Process. Moderated by Mrs. Leona Moore, Ministry of Mines and Energy, with Silas Siakor, Integrated Development and Learning; Adama Soro, EFEDCOM; and Cherif Sow, Artisanal Gold Council.
- Infrastructure, Logistics and the Investment Environment — the 243 km rail rehabilitation, Port of Buchanan upgrades and digital mining, with Rémi Ayikoué Amavi, Country Manager, AGL Liberia.
The closing ceremony on 29 October will present the conference’s outcomes and resolutions, and preview LIMEC 2028.
The companies building Liberia’s resource future
LIMEC 2026 is supported by companies whose own projects are shaping the sector the President will address.
Platinum Sponsors — Avesoro Resources and ArcelorMittal Liberia. Through Bea Mountain Mining Corporation, Avesoro operates the New Liberty Gold Mine in Grand Cape Mount County, Liberia’s first and largest commercial gold mine. The company is taking the operation underground with a new Epiroc fleet and plans to double plant capacity, creating more than 2,000 additional jobs. ArcelorMittal Liberia is the country’s largest investor, with US$3.5 billion committed. It inaugurated a 20 Mt/year concentrator at Tokadeh, Nimba County, in June 2025, and a new Mineral Development Agreement ratified in January 2026 extends its operations to 2050 and anchors a US$1.8 billion expansion. The company supports around 8,000 direct and indirect jobs.
Gold Sponsors — Mantrac, Huawei and LEC. Mantrac, the Caterpillar dealer for Liberia, supplies, maintains and rebuilds the earthmoving, mining and power equipment that keeps the country’s mines and construction sites running. Huawei is working with the Liberia Telecommunications Authority on a “Digital Village” model that combines internet connectivity, smart classrooms and solar power for rural communities. The Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC) has this year restored the Mount Coffee Hydropower Plant to its full 88 MW and commissioned Liberia’s first utility-scale 20 MW solar farm, adding 42 MW of domestic generation and reducing power imports from Côte d’Ivoire and Guinea.
Silver Sponsors — CORICA Mining Services, Mansa Resources and Ivanhoe Atlantic. CORICA is an African-owned contract miner with more than 4,000 employees across West Africa, providing drilling, blasting, load-and-haul, underground and civil engineering services. Mansa Resources acquired the Dugbe Gold Project in Sinoe County in February 2026. With its partners, it plans to invest around US$600 million to build one of West Africa’s largest new gold mines, creating up to 2,000 jobs during construction. Ivanhoe Atlantic is developing the Kon Kweni iron ore project in Guinea, exporting through Liberia on the 243 km railway to the Port of Buchanan under an agreement ratified by the Legislature in December 2025. It plans initial output of up to 5 Mt a year, rising to 30 Mt in a second phase.
Bronze Sponsors — Sarmin Metals, Westcrest Liberia, AGL, WBHO and Zodiac Gold. Sarmin Metals is exploring two high-grade iron ore projects: Gibi Mountain, around 70 km from the coast, where more than 3,000 metres of diamond drilling has been completed, and Nimba South, beside the former LAMCO rail line near Ganta. Westcrest Liberia is a mineral exploration company that funds roads, boreholes, schools and town halls in its host communities through a dedicated 2% community contribution. AGL (Africa Global Logistics) provides freight, customs clearance and project logistics from Monrovia for mining and energy clients. WBHO-SC is contracted by ArcelorMittal Liberia for mining operations and management of the Yekepa–Buchanan railway. Zodiac Gold is exploring the Todi Gold Project across a 2,316 km² licence package in north-west Liberia, with a 14,000-metre drilling programme under way and a first resource estimate targeted for the end of 2026.
Associate Sponsors — Earthtime and RREA. Headquartered in Monrovia, Earthtime provides environmental and social impact assessments, monitoring and laboratory testing through its Liberlab subsidiary, including ESIA, resettlement and biodiversity work for ArcelorMittal’s operations. The Rural and Renewable Energy Agency (RREA) leads Liberia’s rural electrification. Working with the regulator LERC, it has helped introduce a revised Mini-Grid Code in 2026 that lets developers obtain licences and construction permits in parallel, opening rural power to private investment.
The exhibition floor will also feature Epiroc, Minelab, PRD Rigs, Interplast, Ramjack Technology Solutions and Geomining and Environmental Consultancy.
For the full programme, speakers and registration, visit www.limec-liberia.com.
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Notes to editors
About LIMEC 2026. The Liberia International Mining & Energy Conference & Expo is the only event dedicated exclusively to Liberia’s mining and energy sectors. It is organised by the Ministry of Mines and Energy, Republic of Liberia, the Liberia Chamber of Mines and AME Trade Ltd.
Media accreditation. Journalists wishing to cover the opening and sessions should contact the press focal point.
Press focal point in Liberia. Cassandra Hampton · Tel: +231 77 727 2677 · Email: cassandral2009@gmail.com
Media contact (organisers). LIMEC 2026 Organising Team, AME Trade Ltd · liberia@ametrade.org · UK: +44 207 700 4949 · www.limec-liberia.com