By Amos Harris
The National Port Authority (NPA) has launched a landmark US$550 million Strategic Plan (2025–2030), a comprehensive roadmap designed to modernize Liberia’s ports, significantly improve operational efficiency, and firmly position the country as a major maritime hub in West Africa.
The five-year plan was unveiled on October 27, 2025, at the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Ministerial Complex in Congo Town. The launch event drew a significant audience, including senior government officials, lawmakers, international development partners, private sector representatives, and members of the media.
Delivering the keynote address, Hon. Sekou A. M. Dukuly, Managing Director of the NPA, characterized the initiative as a “bold move for port transformation” and a critical step toward repositioning Liberia’s ports. He emphasized the shift from viewing ports as mere revenue-collection centers to recognizing them as dynamic engines of trade and economic growth.
“For too long, our ports have been seen as mere revenue collection points,” Dukuly stated. “Today, we change that narrative. Our ports will now be recognized as hubs for trade facilitation, anchors of economic growth, and pillars of national development.”
The NPA’s 2025–2030 Strategic Plan establishes a clear framework centered on infrastructure modernization, governance reform, efficiency enhancement, and financial diversification. Crucially, it aims to strengthen Liberia’s overall competitiveness in regional and global maritime trade.
Dukuly articulated the plan’s central goal: to transition the NPA “from maintenance to modernization, from dependency to diversification, and from isolation to a united port system.”
At the heart of the new strategy is a reform model code-named RESET, built on five key transformation pillars. These include:
- Modernizing the outdated 1970s governance structure.
- Achieving full automation and digitization of port operations.
- Investing in workforce development.
- Creating a sustainable financial model.
To reduce congestion at the Freeport of Monrovia and boost cross-border commerce, the NPA also intends to develop inland terminals. This expansion of services will extend Liberia’s logistics reach to neighboring countries such as Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Côte d’Ivoire, a move Dukuly stated will solidify Liberia’s role as a regional logistics and maritime hub.
A major financial component of the plan is the establishment of a Port Infrastructure Investment Fund. The NPA has committed to dedicating 15–20% of its annual revenue to fund infrastructure expansion and modernization projects under this initiative.
Managing Director Dukuly stressed that the Strategic Plan is fully aligned with President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development, ensuring that port transformation directly supports Liberia’s national economic recovery goals. He further lauded Hon. Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan, Minister of Finance and Development Planning, for his leadership in coordinating the government’s economic reform agenda.
“This Plan was developed through an inclusive, evidence-based process,” Dukuly noted. “It represents our collective commitment to reform, efficiency, and inclusive growth.”
The NPA Managing Director reaffirmed the Authority’s readiness to collaborate with local and international partners in implementing the plan, describing it as “a vision to build a stronger, smarter, and more competitive port system that drives trade, creates jobs, and fuels national prosperity.”
The launch of the NPA 2025–2030 Strategic Plan marks a major milestone in Liberia’s maritime development, signaling a new era of innovation and growth for the country’s port sector and its critical role in regional trade integration.
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