TOKADEH, Nimba County – President Joseph Nyuma Boakai and ArcelorMittal Executive Chairman Mr. Lakshmi Mittal on Thursday jointly inaugurated one of Africa’s largest iron ore beneficiation plants in Liberia—a state-of-the-art concentrator with a 20-million-tonne capacity located in Tokadeh, Nimba County.
The milestone event signals the official commissioning of ArcelorMittal Liberia’s $1.8 billion Phase Two expansion project, which increases its total investment in the country to approximately $3 billion since operations began two decades ago.
Speaking during the inauguration ceremony, President Boakai hailed the project as a game-changer for Liberia’s economy. “This level of expansion is a testament to growing confidence in Liberia’s security, stability, and investment climate,” Boakai said. “The creation of over 5,000 onsite construction jobs and the expected 1,000 permanent roles mark a major relief to our employment landscape.”
Boakai emphasized the broader implications of ArcelorMittal’s long-term presence in the country, highlighting potential boosts to sectors such as health, education, and commerce through corporate social responsibility programs.
The new concentrator, central to the expansion, will boost iron ore output from 5 million to 20 million tonnes annually, with a significant upgrade in ore quality. To support this jump in production, ArcelorMittal has embarked on massive infrastructure upgrades—rehabilitating the railway from Tokadeh to Buchanan, constructing a new pier, and building modern material handling systems at the port of Buchanan.
Mittal, who flew into Liberia for the high-profile event, praised the enduring partnership between the company and Liberia.
“This state-of-the-art concentrator guarantees the long-term future of mining in Liberia,” said Mittal. “It will quadruple our capabilities, provide jobs for thousands, and contribute substantially to Liberia’s economic prosperity.”
He credited the success of the project to a collaborative effort among stakeholders and reiterated ArcelorMittal’s commitment to the country. “Over the last 20 years, we’ve made substantial contributions beyond mining—improving infrastructure, power supply, and supporting local communities.”
ArcelorMittal Liberia currently employs 2,000 Liberians permanently and brought in an additional 5,000 contractors for the expansion phase. The company also disclosed that it is actively exploring plans to raise capacity to 30 million tonnes annually, with the upgraded railway already designed to handle such volume.
The broader vision includes producing Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) quality concentrate, which could position Liberia as a key player in the global steel supply chain amid growing demands for greener production methods.
Thursday’s inauguration comes just weeks after ArcelorMittal celebrated 20 years of operations in Liberia, marking two decades of economic engagement, community development, and public-private sector cooperation.
The Boakai administration has prioritized attracting sustainable foreign direct investment, and Thursday’s event served as both a diplomatic and economic endorsement of that agenda.
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