Published: September 4, 2025
YEKAPA, Nimba County — Kleber Silva, ArcelorMittal’s Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer of ArcelorMittal Mining, has lauded the company’s investments in healthcare and community services in Liberia, describing them as vital improvements for both workers and surrounding residents.
During a tour of the company’s concession area in Yekepa this week, Silva inspected the modernized hospital facilities, including new surgery rooms and emergency units, and dedicated water kiosks designed to provide safe drinking water to fenceline communities.
“I’m impressed. I’m very happy with the improvement that we did,” Silva said after visiting the upgraded Yekepa Hospital. “We care about the community, we care about our own improvement, and we must have good health infrastructure to take care of the people we value.”
The expanded hospitals in Yekepa and Buchanan now boast upgraded operation theaters and medicine units, part of ArcelorMittal Liberia’s broader push to strengthen healthcare delivery as it advances its multi-billion-dollar Phase II Expansion.
Silva also inaugurated new water facilities equipped with boreholes, solar-powered pumps, and distribution kiosks that will serve hundreds of residents daily. “This facility is marvelous because water is so important,” he said. “We would like to have the best infrastructure for the population here, and we are delighted to do it.”
Rail and Youth Development Gains
Beyond healthcare and water, Silva toured ArcelorMittal’s Buchanan rail operations, where he received updates on the upgraded Rail Traffic Control System, improved workshops, and measures that have reduced train cycle times and increased wagon capacity. He praised the rail team’s progress, saying it underscores the company’s commitment to efficiency and safety.
One of the standout achievements tied to the rail expansion is the recruitment of 21 young people from fenceline communities across Bong, Nimba, and Grand Bassa Counties. The new hires, including two women, have joined the company as Train Assistants after completing a four-week theoretical program at ArcelorMittal’s Training Academy annex in Buchanan. They are now undergoing 12 weeks of practical instruction to prepare them for active roles in rail operations.
Renewed Focus on Social Impact
Silva, who rejoined ArcelorMittal in 2024 after more than three decades in the mining and metallurgical industries, has consistently pushed for investments that extend beyond mining operations into health, housing, training, and community development.
“I feel really, really good because of all this progress,” he said. “We need to have this hospital at the highest level in the country, and we are getting there. I go back with a feeling of warmth, accomplishment, and more progress to come.”
ArcelorMittal Liberia’s Phase II Expansion — encompassing rail, port, and mining upgrades — is positioned as the largest foreign direct investment in Liberia, with parallel commitments to improving the living standards of communities most directly impacted by its operations.
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