SONA 2026: President Boakai Backs NPA Reforms to Break Port Monopoly
In a defining moment for Liberia’s maritime and trade sector, President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, delivering his third State of the Nation Address (SONA) 2026, again strongly reaffirmed the centrality of the National Port Authority (NPA) to national economic recovery, trade facilitation, and structural transformation of Liberia. The President’s remarks stand as a powerful national endorsement of the reform agenda being executed by the NPA Management Team under the leadership of Managing Director Sekou A. M. Dukuly, and the Board of Directors.
Breaking Monopoly. Creating Competition. Expanding Capacity.
President Boakai recounted a landmark development emerging from his official engagement in Morocco about two months ago. This engagement according to President Boakai with the leading Moroccan port development entity(Tanger Med) has resulted in a commitment to invest in strategic port equipment, logistics systems, and terminal infrastructure at the Freeport of Monrovia. The President noted that this investment is crucial toward expanding the Freeport and constructing modern bulk cargo terminals at the LMC Pier, thereby decompressing port congestion, diversifying terminal operations, and structurally lowering the cost of doing business at the Port of Monrovia.
This intervention directly confronts and dismantles a longstanding operational monopoly at the Freeport, opening the port ecosystem to competition, service efficiency, operational transparency, and tariff rationalization. By unlocking new bulk-handling capacity at the LMC Pier, Port expects believe that the investment will significantly reduce vessel waiting time, minimize cargo holding time, decongest existing berths, and improve turnaround efficiency, delivering immediate and long-term benefits to importers, exporters, shipping lines, and consumers alike.
This strategic direction squarely aligns with the NPA’s RESET Agenda, reclaiming operational sovereignty, modernizing port services, strengthening logistics value chains, and repositioning Liberia as a competitive maritime gateway along the West African coast.
Planning with Precision. Reforming with Purpose.
The President further disclosed that comprehensive master plans for the Ports of Monrovia and Buchanan have been completed, providing the technical and investment framework for phased infrastructure renewal, terminal expansion, channel optimization, and long-term throughput growth.
These master plans, now guiding NPA’s infrastructure modernization trajectory, are complemented by tariff reforms already yielding measurable revenue growth, strengthening the Authority’s financial sustainability while enhancing predictability, fairness, and transparency for port users. Together, these reforms are recalibrating Liberia’s port economy away from congestion-driven inefficiencies toward performance-based port governance.
Building a 24-Hour Gateway Economy.
Looking ahead, President Boakai outlined a reform pathway that will fundamentally redefine Liberia’s maritime economy:
– Expansion of the Freeport of Monrovia
– Development of new bulk cargo terminals at the LMC Pier
– Strategic dredging to accommodate larger vessels and deeper drafts
– Reduced congestion and logistics costs
– Expanded vessel access and faster turnaround times
– Full transition to 24-hour port operations
These initiatives directly reinforce reforms already underway by the NPA Management Team, particularly the restoration of night navigation, deployment of navigational aids, berth optimization, and the operational shift toward round-the-clock maritime activity.
Together, these measures will unlock higher cargo throughput, lower port charges, enhanced trade competitiveness, and accelerated national revenue mobilization, positioning Liberia as a logistics and transhipment hub within the Mano River Union and broader Gulf of Guinea corridor.
A Presidential Vote of Confidence.
The President’s SONA acknowledgment represents more than commendation, it is a clear vote of confidence in the direction, discipline, and delivery capacity of the NPA’s leadership and its Board of Directors. It reaffirms that the Authority’s reforms are not isolated administrative adjustments, but core pillars of Liberia’s macroeconomic recovery strategy and national development architecture.
Source : NPA
