IPNEWS: Liberia successfully hosted its first-ever Investment Conference in Accra on May 15–16, 2025, drawing a diverse assembly of investors, government officials, entrepreneurs, and development partners. The two-day event, themed “Unlocking Liberia’s Investment Potential for Sustainable Economic Growth,” aimed to position Liberia as a prime destination for regional and international investment.
Delivering a compelling keynote address, Liberia’s Foreign Minister, Sara Beysolow Nyanti, emphasized Liberia’s commitment to fostering a conducive environment for investment, highlighting the nation’s strategic reforms and abundant natural resources. She stated, “Liberia is open for business and committed to fostering a business-friendly environment to encourage investment across various sectors” She outlined the government’s ARREST agenda, focusing on Agriculture, Roads and infrastructure, the Rule of law, Education, Health and sanitation, and Tourism.
Minister Nyanti, highlighted that in developed countries, economic diplomacy is about them exporting their companies, their private organizations, and trying to get their goods into the global markets.
She urged leaders on the continent to ensure that economic diplomacy became the gateway for business, create the enabling environment, and ensure that responsible sectors and those responsible for trade and investment came together to do business.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Liberia has taken on this responsibility for economic diplomacy, and our ambassadors, our embassies, will be creating this platform for our ministries and agencies and commissions to come into countries to engage with investors.
This is the second conference, as the first one was in China, somewhere last year.
The third will be in Belgium for all of Europe, looking at European companies, European investors coming to Belgium from across Europe, and engaging with our government officials, “Mrs Nyanti said.
Highlighting Key Investment Sectors, the Foreign Minister spotlighted several sectors ripe for investment including Agriculture. She added that with the vast arable land and a favorable climate, Liberia offers opportunities in rice, cocoa, oil palm, cassava, and fisheries. Agriculture is vital for food security and rural development, employing a significant portion of the population.
Also speaking at the conference, Former President of Liberia, Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, has called for strengthened collaboration between Ghana and Liberia in the areas of trade and investment to boost economies of the two countries.
She stated that these two countries have enjoyed a bilateral relationship and need to explore potential trade and investment opportunities that will benefit their citizens and yield investment returns.
Madam Sirleaf, urged the current leaders of Ghana and Liberia to strengthen their diplomatic ties in trade and investment.
Emphasising that the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) should serve as the driving mechanism for achieving this goal, underscoring that both countries need to elevate their bilateral relationship to the next level.
“We need to build upon what Nkrumah did many years ago. We need the current leaders, whom we know very well and are proud of their achievements, to make this happen,” she stated.
Madam Sirleaf also appealed to members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to strengthen their borders to ensure safe trading among member countries, noting that the continent’s borders have become too weak.
“No country can be left behind because our borders are too porous. Our interdependence in technology, finance, and other areas tells us that we must work together and invest in each other,” she said.
On her part the Liberian Ambassador to Ghana, H.E. Musu Jatu Rhule, urged international organizations to invest in the Liberian economy as the country’s political and economic stability is an attractive factor for global investment.
She said investors should take advantage of these conditions to maximize their returns as the private sector investment was a major sector which the government is open to collaborations with.
She noted that Liberia is among the nations providing a favorable economic environment for potential investors, with its natural resources, which include gold and diamonds that have investment potential.
Amb Rhule said the country had also made meaningful progress in areas such as infrastructure development, digital transformation, energy, agriculture, and value-added manufacturing.
She emphasized Liberia’s readiness to welcome Ghanaian businesses seeking to expand across borders.
“We have banks that are based here in Ghana — four or five of them — that are also registered in Liberia,” she noted. “We are looking for more opportunities with Ghanaian business people. That’s why we are holding this conference in Ghana: to show them what’s possible.”
She added that several Ghanaian entrepreneurs already operating in Liberia are serving as ambassadors of success, sharing positive experiences to encourage new entrants.
“The goal is to attract new investors. We always discuss this at the grassroots level. The business environment is evolving — you no longer need to go through embassies to gauge the market. It’s about partnerships and open dialogue,” she said.
A tax expert from the Liberia Revenue Authority, Paul Hinneh also highlighted Liberia’s investor-friendly tax regime, stressing that the country offers reduced tax rates and long-term contract guarantees to incentivize foreign businesses.
“One of our key mechanisms is through our tax laws,” the official explained. “We provide special, reduced rates and offer long-term contracts or concessions. Once an agreement is signed — for 10 years, for instance — it remains binding regardless of political changes or legal reforms. Your investment is protected.”
Organized by the Liberian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in collaboration with the Liberian Embassy in Ghana, the conference highlighted key sectors ripe for investment, including agriculture, energy, tourism, telecommunications, and infrastructure.
The choice of Accra as the conference venue underscored the strategic importance of Ghana-Liberia relations. By hosting the event in a regional financial hub, Liberia aimed to attract Ghanaian investors and strengthen bilateral economic cooperation.
The conference featured high-level panel discussions, sector-specific presentations, and a Liberia-Ghana Trade & Culture Expo, facilitating direct
