Liberia plans its first gold refinery and a $30m minerals survey
President Boakai wants gold refined at home before export, plus a state mining company and a sovereign wealth fund.
Harbel — Liberia will spend US$30 million mapping its mineral wealth from the air and aims to open its first gold-processing plant within two years, President Joseph Nyuma Boakai said on Wednesday.
Opening the second Liberia International Mining and Energy Conference (LIMEC 2026) in Harbel, Margibi County, Boakai said the airborne geophysical survey, funded under the country's Millennium Challenge Corporation compact, would give investors better data on critical and strategic minerals and support a five-year national exploration programme.
What he announced
- Refining at home: gold mined in Liberia should go through primary and secondary refining to international purity standards at licensed local plants before it is exported.
- A National Mining Company of Liberia, so the state can hold stakes in selected mining projects rather than rely mainly on royalties.
- A Liberia Sovereign Wealth Fund to save part of the country's resource income for future generations.
- More investment in renewable energy.
Boakai said keeping more value inside the country would create jobs and strengthen local businesses. He did not give the mining company's capital, ownership or timetable. A refinery will also need steady power, technical skills and clear rules, which will decide whether the two-year target is met.
Source: AllAfrica, 29 October 2026.
