United States Ambassador to Liberia, Mark Toner, says President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s latest assembly with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C., is anticipated to ship a significant financial increase to Liberia.
By Stephen G. Fellajuah
Monrovia, Liberia; July 18, 2025 – Outgoing U.S. Ambassador to Liberia, Mark Toner, has disclosed right here that President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s latest assembly with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C., is anticipated to ship a significant financial increase to Liberia, particularly, a US$1.8 billion funding.
Although Ambassador Toner didn’t present particular particulars on construction or supply of the funding, his remarks seem to align carefully with the controversial Liberia–HPX/Ivanhoe Atlantic railway and infrastructure settlement, elevating hypothesis that the deal could also be a key a part of the broader funding framework.
Toner disclosed throughout an interview on OK FM in Monrovia on Thursday, July 17, 2025, describing the engagement as a major milestone in strengthening financial ties between the USA and Liberia.
President Trump just lately hosted a three-day summit in Washington, D.C., bringing collectively leaders from 5 African nations: Liberia, Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania, and Senegal. The summit, in keeping with the White Home, was seen as an “unimaginable industrial alternative” and centered closely on Trump’s “commerce, not help” technique for U.S.–Africa relations.
All 5 nations at the moment face 10% tariffs on exports to the U.S., and commerce negotiations have been excessive on the agenda. Throughout a televised working lunch on the White Home on July 9, the African leaders recommended Trump’s initiative and emphasised their want for elevated American funding on the continent.
Ambassador Toner confirmed that the $1.8 billion funding package deal is linked to each the summit and the bilateral discussions between President Boakai and President Trump. “It’s a major step for Liberia’s financial future,” Toner mentioned. “Actual financial transformation will come by way of severe investments, from the U.S. and elsewhere.”
He cited the continuing enlargement of ArcelorMittal’s operations as one of many cornerstone parts of Liberia’s funding panorama, noting the corporate’s sustained dedication to long-term growth within the nation.
The U.S. Envoy additionally underscored a necessity to handle the financial aspirations of Liberia’s youthful inhabitants. He referred to as for focused reforms within the banking sector to ease entry to finance for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which he described as important to Liberia’s financial progress.
Recalling his latest go to to Lofa County, Toner shared how he met with native entrepreneurs, lots of them girls, who expressed frustration with the problem of acquiring enterprise loans. “Entry to capital stays one of many greatest boundaries for Liberia’s small companies,” he acknowledged.
Toner’s departure from Liberia comes amid combined public reactions, significantly regarding the closed-door signing of a multi-user railway settlement between the Authorities of Liberia and Ivanhoe Atlantic. The deal has sparked public debate and questions on transparency.
Nonetheless, Ambassador Toner defended the method, noting that the delay in asserting the settlement was because of the want for legislative approval. “Regardless, it’s an enormous success for Liberia,” he mentioned.
The U.S. Embassy has since issued a press release in Monrovia, applauding the $1.8 billion deal, calling it a significant financial milestone. The assertion hinted that the settlement might have been one of many key outcomes of the Boakai–Trump assembly.
Reflecting on Liberia’s democratic evolution, Toner praised the nation’s progress since 2003. “Liberia has come a good distance,” he mentioned, highlighting two peaceable transfers of energy and the continued peaceable presence of former presidents within the nation.
Ambassador Toner, who started his tenure in August 2024, is ready to retire from the U.S. Overseas Service sooner than initially deliberate. Enhancing by Jonathan Browne
