Beyond political intentions, Liberia has just made a structural shift by sealing a decisive partnership with Tanger Med Engineering.
The key is to completely overhaul the port infrastructure in Monrovia and Buchanan, a cornerstone of the national agenda for economic recovery.
This is a quiet but strategic turning point for the Liberian economy: through the signing of a large-scale agreement with Tanger Med Engineering, a technical subsidiary of the Moroccan port group Tanger Med, Liberia is undertaking a profound transformation of its port infrastructure.
The objective is to rehabilitate its two major terminals—Monrovia and Buchanan—to bring them up to 21st-century logistical and technological standards.
This master plan, resulting from several months of shared expertise, aims for much more than simple modernization.
It embodies President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s ambition to provide the country with a logistical base capable of supporting sustainable, inclusive, and regionally integrated development. It is also a concrete illustration of the “ARREST” vision—the acronym for the presidential agenda, which focuses on agriculture, roads, reconciliation, education, health, and technology.
With this partnership, Tanger Med confirms its continental reach in port engineering. The Moroccan group, already in demand in several African countries, is providing its technical expertise to rethink Liberia’s logistics architecture. This is not just a matter of providing assistance: Tanger Med is committed to the operational implementation of an ambitious program structured around six major projects: modernizing quays, renovating container terminals, refurbishing warehouses, introducing smart logistics platforms, strengthening port security systems, and adopting environmentally friendly energy management solutions.
The dredging and capacity expansion work will enable the two ports to accommodate rapidly growing maritime traffic and accommodate larger vessels in Liberia as a strategic hub in the West African corridor.
“This agreement goes far beyond an infrastructure project. It is an instrument of economic transformation,” said Sekou Hussein Dukuly, Director General of the National Ports Authority (NPA). He said the modernization will help “create sustainable jobs, attract capital, and strengthen the country’s logistical sovereignty .”
The project involves the complete digitalization of customs and port procedures, improved processing of goods flows, and a significant reduction in transit times. Such efficiency gains should reposition Liberia as a leading logistics hub for landlocked countries in the region, starting with Mali and Guinea, while strengthening the foundations of still underdeveloped intra-African trade.
This new partnership is part of a broader cooperation between Rabat and Monrovia. In November 2024, the NPA signed a memorandum of understanding with Marsa Maroc for the operation of a multipurpose terminal in Monrovia and the complete rehabilitation of the Port of Buchanan. This first milestone laid the foundations for a co-development dynamic structured around a public-private model, supported by the sharing of technical and institutional expertise.
The collaboration with Tanger Med Engineering now constitutes a strategic extension of this, consolidating Morocco’s role as a benchmark partner for West African countries seeking to upgrade their logistics.
The signing of this agreement was welcomed by many figures in the Liberian state apparatus, reflecting the broad consensus surrounding the project. Senator Momo T. Cyrus, chairman of the National Security Committee; Congressman Austin B. Taylor, in charge of maritime affairs; and Representative Sekou Kanneh have publicly expressed their support for what they call an “economic sovereignty program.”
On the diplomatic front, the joint efforts of Liberian Ambassador to Morocco Johnson J. Fayiah and Chargé d’Affaires Emmanuel Larmeh were instrumental in taking the president’s vision beyond Morocco’s borders. By facilitating discussions with Moroccan authorities, they helped make this agreement an example of active and targeted economic diplomacy.
Beyond Liberia, this agreement contributes to a redefinition of trade flows along the Atlantic coast.
Faced with growing congestion in Nigerian and Ivorian ports, the modernization of secondary hubs such as Monrovia and Buchanan could reshuffle the cards. Ultimately, these two ports could capture a substantial share of transshipment traffic and establish themselves as strategic fallback solutions for major shipping companies.
