Published: October 2, 2026
MONROVIA — Integrity Watch Liberia Executive Director Harold Marvin Aidoo is urging the government to move cautiously but decisively in managing Liberia’s emerging critical-mineral prospects, warning that the country risks repeating decades of exporting valuable natural resources while mining communities remain poor and the wider economy captures little of the wealth.
By Blamo N. Toe
Aidoo says growing global demand for minerals used in batteries, electric vehicles and renewable-energy technologies presents Liberia with another opportunity to transform its natural-resource wealth into lasting prosperity — but only if the government strengthens oversight, independently verifies the country’s mineral potential and negotiates investment agreements that deliver measurable benefits to Liberians.
In a detailed policy commentary released Thursday titled “Liberia Must Not Miss the Critical Minerals Moment,” Aidoo recommended that the government publish the non-confidential findings of a China-supported mineral survey and commission an independent geological verification before making major commitments to investors.
The survey, according to Aidoo, has reported indications of lithium, cobalt, nickel, manganese, rare-earth elements and other strategically important minerals.
But he cautioned against treating indications as confirmed commercially viable reserves.
Liberia, he said, must first establish exactly what minerals it possesses, where they are located, their commercial potential and whether they can be extracted responsibly.
“Liberia has another chance to turn mineral wealth into lasting prosperity,” Aidoo said. “The global demand for minerals used in batteries, electric vehicles and renewable energy is creating new opportunities.”
But he warned that without changes in the governance of the extractive sector, Liberia could repeat a familiar pattern in which “valuable resources leave our shores while communities remain poor.”
Aidoo said Liberia’s experience with iron ore provides an important lesson as the country considers the opportunities associated with critical minerals.
He traced commercial iron-ore production to Bomi Hills in 1951, noting that mining has since generated exports and government revenue but has often remained disconnected from the wider domestic economy.
According to him, the sector has historically operated largely as an enclave, with limited linkages to Liberian businesses, manufacturing and employment.
“Railways and ports moved ore abroad, while the knowledge and industrial capacity needed to transform the wider economy remained insufficient,” Aidoo said.
He warned that the global transition toward cleaner energy could reproduce the same pattern if Liberia becomes primarily a supplier of raw minerals needed to manufacture green technologies elsewhere.
“The energy transition could reproduce that pattern,” he said. “Liberia might supply minerals for cleaner technologies overseas while absorbing environmental damage and receiving only a modest share of the value. A green product does not guarantee a fair supply chain.”
Aidoo said growing competition among major economies for access to critical minerals could give Liberia greater bargaining power — if the country approaches potential investors strategically.
He cited China’s strong position in mineral processing and efforts by the United States and its partners to diversify their mineral supply chains.
According to him, Liberia should engage China, the United States, Europe and other potential partners, but agreements must be transparent and guided primarily by Liberia’s development priorities.
“The question for every partnership should be practical: what will Liberia gain beyond the export of ore?” Aidoo asked.
He said future mineral agreements should contain credible commitments covering Liberian jobs, skills development, local suppliers, shared infrastructure and environmental protection.
“Political friendship cannot substitute for a sound commercial bargain,” he said.
Aidoo identified strengthening Liberia’s knowledge of its own mineral resources as an immediate priority.
“Government should publish the non-confidential findings of the mineral survey and commission independent geological verification,” he recommended.
According to him, Liberia must also build institutions with the technical expertise to interpret geological data and critically evaluate proposals presented by mining investors.
“Negotiating without that capacity places the country at a disadvantage before discussions even begin,” he said.
Aidoo also called for the development of a national critical-minerals strategy linking mining to Liberia’s electricity, education, industrial and trade priorities.
He said the legal and policy framework referenced in the current debate — including the 2000 Minerals and Mining Law and the 2010 Mineral Policy — predates the current international competition surrounding minerals required for the energy transition.
He argued that reforms must therefore convert policy ambitions into enforceable obligations rather than what he characterized as another collection of promises.
Aidoo also wants mineral licensing to be conducted transparently and competitively, with the ownership of companies seeking mining rights disclosed.
He said mining contracts should be publicly accessible and lawmakers responsible for ratifying agreements should have independent technical advice to help them scrutinize proposed deals.
According to him, requirements covering local procurement, training and mineral processing should not simply appear in agreements without mechanisms to enforce them.
“Local procurement, training and processing commitments need deadlines, measurable targets and consequences for non-performance,” he said.
Aidoo argued that stronger safeguards are equally necessary to protect government revenue.
He said Liberia needs greater capacity to independently verify mineral quality, production volumes and export values, as well as expertise capable of detecting under-invoicing and abusive pricing arrangements involving related companies.
“Without these safeguards, apparently attractive agreements can still leave the country collecting far less than it should,” he warned.
While advocating greater value addition, Aidoo cautioned against unrealistic expectations that every mineral deposit should automatically result in the construction of a refinery or processing plant.
“Liberia cannot demand a refinery for every deposit without considering electricity costs, water availability, environmental risks and markets,” he said.
Instead, he recommended that Liberia begin by retaining more of the geological, engineering, maintenance and logistics work associated with mining while gradually developing the capacity for commercially viable processing.
Reliable and affordable electricity, Aidoo said, will be central to that ambition.
He argued that major mining investments should contribute to expanding electricity and transportation infrastructure that can also serve communities and other businesses.
“Shared railways, ports and transmission infrastructure can create economic opportunities well beyond the mine,” he said.
Aidoo placed significant emphasis on developing Liberian technical expertise, calling for stronger investment in universities and vocational institutions to train geologists, engineers, laboratory technicians and environmental specialists.
Mining agreements, he said, should finance apprenticeships and recognized qualifications while creating opportunities for women and young people from mining-affected communities.
“Counting Liberians on payrolls is insufficient if technical knowledge and managerial authority remain elsewhere,” Aidoo said.
His recommendations would require mining agreements to focus not only on the number of Liberians employed but also on whether Liberians are gaining the technical expertise and decision-making experience needed to eventually occupy senior positions in the sector.
Aidoo also warned that Liberia should not measure mining development solely by export earnings or government revenue.
He said communities affected by mining must have a meaningful voice in decisions that could alter their livelihoods and environment.
According to him, water protection, community consultation, accessible grievance mechanisms and adequately funded mine-closure plans should become enforceable requirements.
“Development cannot be measured only by export earnings when families lose farmland, fisheries or safe drinking water,” Aidoo said.
He further called for Liberia to work with neighboring countries to develop regional markets and industrial capacity around critical minerals.
“We may not be able to manufacture every finished product ourselves, but we can participate in African processing and manufacturing chains rather than remain confined to exporting raw materials,” he said.
For Aidoo, Liberia’s most consequential decisions will come before mining licenses and long-term sales agreements are signed.
He said the government should use the current period to establish the scale and commercial viability of the country’s mineral potential, strengthen regulatory institutions and clearly define the benefits investors will be required to deliver.
“The decisions taken before licences and long-term sales agreements are signed will shape what Liberia retains for decades,” Aidoo said. “We should use this period to verify our mineral potential, strengthen institutions and define the benefits investors must deliver.”
He said the ultimate measure of Liberia’s success should not simply be how much ore leaves the country or how much money mining generates during the lifespan of individual projects, but what remains after the minerals are exhausted.
“Minerals are finite. Skills, productive infrastructure and capable institutions can outlast them,” Aidoo said.
“Liberia’s goal should be to turn the resources beneath our soil into the capacity to build prosperity long after the mines close.”
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