By: Trokon Wrepue – trokon1992seokin@gmail.com
YEKEPA, NIMBA COUNTY – World Steel giant Arcelor Mittal (AML) is hopping its Phase II Expansion project will be a reality as it looks to a future that holds enormous benefits for its affected communities and Liberia at large.
It was the first biggest multi-million dollars’ investment to touch down the shores of Liberia in 2005 after the country civil conflict that ruined everything including the economy after the civil war ended.
Like many other concessions in the country, Arcelor Mittal has had its own fair share of challenges, witnessing some of Liberia’s struggling times including the outbreak of the EBOLA Virus Disease Epidemic and the Corona Virus pandemic.
Throughout these difficult periods, the company remained operational and help Liberia overcame those health crises.
Till date, the steel company said it has invested more than $2-billion over the last two decades in infrastructure, job creation, education, health and many other areas in need of critical interventions in Liberia.
Phase II Expansion
Following 20 years of operations in Liberia, AML has applied and is hopping the government will allow it expand its operations in Nimba County where it mines tones of iron ore annually.
AML is currently constructing an iron ore concentrator in Yekepa, Nimba County which will be used to upgrade to iron ore to a very top quality.
The expansion according to the authorities will create more than two thousand jobs – adding the already over seven thousand jobs the company has provided.
At the company’s 20th anniversary celebration in Yekepa on Friday April 4, 2025, Arcelor Mittal Liberia Chief Executive Officer Mr. Michiel Van Der Merwe told stakeholders and residents of the affected community that the company will continue to invest in Liberia and generations to come will benefit.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we are blessed in this county with the most beautiful of minerals. It’s going to keep not only this county but the Liberia for many, many decades to come. Your children to work on this mines, their children’s children will also work on this mine and we wouldn’t even to halfway through.” Michiel Van Der Merwe said.
“We are celebrating today the past 20 years of Arcelor Mittal in Liberia, we are also celebrating the sacrifices that you, family members and everybody involve in this journey. Government officials, local officials and everybody sitting here today that have helped Arcelor Mittal to be where we are today, thank you.” He said.
According to CEO Merwe, AML is in the edge of a massive expansion that increase production and lead to massive economic benefit for Liberians and generations to come.
“This year, we are going to mine fifteen million tonnes of product one the concentrator has started working. That is our aim.” The CEO noted.
Affected Communities Back Expansion
Nimba and Grand Bassa are the two counties directly affected by the operation of Areclor Mittal.
Yekepa in Nimba County is where Arcelor Mittal mines its ore and uses the port of Buchanan to export.
These two counties have backed AML’s expansion project which they think will lead to more employment, benefit the counties and grow the country’s economy.
Both counties are calling for increase in the development funds remitted, increase in the number of scholarship students, more job opportunities for sons and daughters of the two counties and infrastructure development for communities directly affected, many of which AML has committed to doing.
The communities have called on the government and other institutions responsible to fast-track the expansion project while urging AML to be truthful by fulfilling its portion of the bargaining.
