By Amos Harris
As Liberia marked its 178th Independence Day, the celebrations went beyond traditional fanfare, featuring a powerful call for economic empowerment and greater engagement from the Liberian diaspora. Mr. Lawrenzo Barr, Chief Executive Officer of the LIAM Group of Companies, seized the occasion to passionately urge Liberians, particularly those living abroad, to return home and actively invest in the nation’s economic resurgence.
Speaking during a special program held as part of the Independence Day festivities, Mr. Barr underscored the urgent need for Liberians to embrace local investment as a primary driver for national development, economic independence, and job creation. “The private sector is the engine of the economy,” Barr declared, drawing significant applause. “It has the potential to provide jobs for many people and contribute significantly to nation-building. We, Liberians, must lead this charge.”
Mr. Barr, who recently returned from the United States, spoke with a blend of optimism and patriotic urgency, emphasizing that Liberia is now ripe for investment. He highlighted the country’s conducive business environment and significantly improved security over the past decade. “I’ve been living in the United States, but I felt compelled to return not just to visit, but to invest. Liberia is ready. And it needs us, its own children, to rise and rebuild,” he remarked. His words resonated with attendees, including business leaders, government officials, and young entrepreneurs, who have long advocated for increased investment and innovation.
The LIAM Group CEO made a direct appeal to Liberians living abroad, urging them to view their homeland not merely as a place of origin but as a viable landscape for investment, opportunity, and transformation. “Your contributions can help develop Liberia through your investments and tax contributions,” Mr. Barr emphasized. “We must understand that only Liberians can build Liberia. Foreigners can help, yes, but the soul, the commitment, the deep-rooted passion needed to transform this country must come from us.”
He challenged businesspeople in the diaspora to shed the notion that Liberia is too risky for business. “That thinking belongs to the past,” he insisted. “The future is here, and it’s ours to shape.” He added that with proper investment channels, transparency, and strategic partnerships, the private sector could provide sustainable solutions to the country’s unemployment crisis and stagnant economy.
As a testament to his commitment to Liberia’s economic revitalization, Mr. Barr announced the launch of AROSO Rice, a premium quality, American long-grain parboiled rice now imported and distributed locally by the LIAM Group. AROSO Rice, he explained, is not just a commercial product but a statement of his company’s intent to bring high-quality, healthy, and affordable food options to the Liberian market. “This rice is directly imported from the United States and offers significant health benefits,” he noted, highlighting its lack of sugar, starch, and cholesterol.
The announcement was met with excitement, particularly given recent volatility in the rice market, which is Liberia’s staple food and has often been at the center of importation and pricing controversies.
Mr. Barr’s investment philosophy extends beyond profit. He spoke passionately about social enterprise, emphasizing that every business venture under the LIAM Group umbrella must also contribute meaningfully to improving the lives of ordinary Liberians. “Business must serve a purpose greater than wealth accumulation,” he explained. “We are here to empower communities, create jobs, and restore dignity to families who have struggled for too long without opportunity.” He revealed that his company currently employs dozens of Liberians and plans to expand its workforce as AROSO Rice distribution scales across the country.
During his remarks, Mr. Barr also highlighted the need for a stronger partnership between the Liberian government and the private sector. He commended recent efforts by President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s administration to foster a more investor-friendly environment, particularly through tax reforms and trade facilitation programs. However, he urged policymakers to go further by providing technical assistance to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), easing access to financing, and simplifying the business registration process.
“The government cannot do it alone,” Barr said. “But if it creates the right environment, Liberians everywhere—at home and abroad—will respond with investment, innovation, and entrepreneurship.” He proposed the establishment of a Diaspora Investment Council, a platform that would connect returning Liberians with government officials, financial institutions, and local partners to streamline investment processes and reduce bureaucratic bottlenecks. “This council can act as a bridge, helping to match the passion of returning Liberians with real opportunities on the ground,” he suggested.
Mr. Barr’s message garnered strong support from other business leaders and attendees. Mary Kpannah, a local entrepreneur, called Barr’s speech “inspiring and long overdue.” James Kollie, a Liberian-American entrepreneur visiting from Minnesota, said Barr’s call to action resonated deeply. Officials within the Ministry of Commerce and Industry also expressed interest in supporting partnerships that promote diaspora-led investment, with one official revealing that the government is exploring a policy framework aimed at reducing customs duties for Liberians importing essential goods and capital equipment for businesses.
Underlying Mr. Barr’s message was a broader philosophical shift: from reliance on foreign aid to self-driven development. He urged Liberians to transition from being passive recipients of international assistance to active architects of their own destiny. “We’ve spent decades asking others to help us. That time is over; the new Liberia must be one built by the hands, hearts, and minds of its own people,” he declared.
His words echo a growing movement among Liberia’s young professionals and business class, one that seeks to redefine Liberia not as a fragile, post-conflict state, but as a dynamic, investment-ready nation. As the 178th Independence Day concluded, Mr. Barr’s message of diaspora engagement, economic participation, and patriotic investment lingered, offering not only a critique of past stagnation but a compelling vision of what Liberia could become if its people unite around a shared purpose.
“Our independence was won by sacrifice,” he concluded. “Now we must sustain it through investment, innovation, and collective responsibility.” As Liberia looks ahead to its bicentennial in 2047, voices like Mr. Lawrenzo Barr’s may well be the catalyst for the next phase of the nation’s journey.