Liberia President l Urges Diaspora to Drive Economic Growth Through Direct Investment

President Joseph Nyuma Boakai has called on Liberians living overseas to take a more active role in shaping the country’s economic future by investing directly in businesses and productive sectors at home, rather than limiting their support to remittances and charitable giving.

The President made the call during a farewell engagement with members of the Liberian diaspora at the Executive Mansion, where he stressed that sustainable economic growth and job creation cannot be delivered by government alone. He emphasized that a strong, locally owned private sector, supported by diaspora capital, skills, and experience is critical to national development.

Boakai urged Liberians abroad to see returning home not merely as a symbolic gesture, but as an opportunity to build enterprises, create jobs, and establish long-term economic assets. He encouraged investment in both small- and large-scale ventures, particularly in communities where basic commercial services remain limited.

Highlighting gaps in everyday infrastructure, the President pointed to the shortage of supermarkets, shopping centres, stationery stores, and other essential businesses in many parts of the country. He said targeted investments in these areas would improve access to goods and services while generating employment nationwide.

Challenging negative perceptions about Liberia’s pace of development, Boakai said the country is making steady progress and would move faster with stronger diaspora participation. He noted that Liberians abroad successfully build schools, housing projects, and businesses in their host countries and questioned why similar levels of investment are not more common at home.

The Liberian leader stressed that while the government is working to expand employment opportunities, the public sector cannot absorb the entire workforce. According to him, private-sector growth remains the most effective path to large-scale job creation and economic stability.

He also outlined the administration’s push to attract greater diaspora investment into productive sectors and local institutions, with a focus on historically underinvested regions such as southeastern Liberia. Boakai described the area as rich in natural and human potential but held back by weak infrastructure and limited private investment.

Addressing concerns about the treatment of returning Liberians, the President assured the diaspora community that his administration is committed to improving their experience, including closer monitoring of airport procedures to ensure professionalism and respect.

Boakai concluded by expressing confidence in Liberia’s future, describing the country as resilient and full of promise, and urged Liberians at home and abroad to invest, take ownership of key economic assets, and actively participate in building a stronger national economy.