Boakai Becomes First Sitting President to Visit Liberia’s Ship Registry Office in Virginia

Published: September 28, 2026

MONROVIA – President Joseph Nyuma Boakai has become the first sitting Liberian president to visit the Virginia office of the Liberia International Ship and Corporate Registry, where officials told him the Liberian flag remains the world’s largest ship registry, according to the head of the Liberia Maritime Authority.

Maritime Authority Commissioner and CEO Neto Zarzar Lighe Sr. briefed Boakai at the registry’s office in Dulles, Virginia, on its growth, operational performance and role in Liberia’s position in the global shipping industry, according to a statement released Monday. The briefing said the registry has surpassed competitors including Panama and the Bahamas.

Lighe thanked Boakai for the visit and said it showed the president’s personal commitment to Liberia’s maritime program and the importance his administration places on the sector’s growth and global competitiveness.

The statement described the maritime sector as a major source of national revenue, international engagement and economic development, and the registry as a vital national asset.

Boakai was received by Maritime Authority Deputy Commissioner for Finance Emmanuel Nuku Reeves, Deputy Commissioner for Operations Margarete Ansumana, Deputy Commissioner for Vessel Registration Yvonne Clinton and Robert Wilmot Kpadeh, Liberia’s permanent representative to the International Maritime Organization.

He was accompanied by Liberia’s ambassador to the United States, Al-Hassan Conteh; National Security Adviser Samuel Kofi Woods; and Minister of State Without Portfolio Mamaka Bility.