By: G Bennie Bravo Johnson, I.
ArcelorMittal Liberia’s US$1.4 billion Phase 2 Expansion Project – which the company says has reached a transformative stage that
promises to reshape Liberia’s mining industry and deliver lasting economic and social benefits across the country, was met with a huge protestation by hundreds of aggrieved youths – most of whom are citizens of Nimba.
As one of the largest mining expansion projects undertaken in Africa, ArcelorMittal has been accused of bad labour practice including low salary payment to Liberians while expatriates take home lumsom of salary and allowance – and as well accused of payment of low royalty to national Government.
The protesters under the banner “AML Must Go” were queued along the entrance of the company corridor; marking the launch of the AML concentrator project with a demand for community empowerment.
Amongst their demand, they urged the company to renovate housing units left by LAMCO to improve the living conditions of employees of the company.
“The company must renovate housing left by LAMCO to improve the living conditions for workers. Or give the houses to the county to renovate them while they pay rental.” The protesters stated that those in the employ of the company are currently being hosted in modernized containers and made to pay rent for their stay in those containers despite working for the company.
“Workers are made to pay 250us for rent despite being under contract with the company” the protesters lamented However, the company through its Executive Chairperson Lakshmi Mittal described the commissioning as a bigger ambition that shifted the mining sector of the country. “By 2011, the first iron ore was shipped, declaring to the world that Liberia was mining again. From restart to reimagination: What is
Phase 2? Fast forward to today, and that
same commitment endures – only now, it is bigger, bolder, and more ambitious. Phase 2 is not just an expansion, it is a transformation.
It represents a new chapter in ArcelorMittal Liberia’s story – one that aims to elevate Liberia’s mining sector, create long-term value for the country, and reinforce ArcelorMittal’s role as a key partner in the nation’s growth.” AML Executive Chairperson Lakshmi stated that phase 2 includes construction of a state-of-the-art concentrator plant, two power plants with 125 MW total capacity, major upgrades to the railway, and modernization of Buchanan
Port, including a new conveyor system and berthing facilities.
The company during the launch provided that the expansion will result in a quadrupling of production to 20 million tonnes a year, and a significant improvement in product quality through the investment in the concentrator, bringing ArcelorMittal Liberia on par with world-class mining operations.
They added that for “Liberia’s mining future, the Commissioning of the concentrator is on track for mid-2025, with full operational capacity expected by the end of the year. As the project enters its final stages, it stands as a testament to what can be achieved through perseverance, partnership, and shared ambition.
The Phase 2 expansion is not only an engineering milestone but a national success story in the making – one that will bring lasting value for generations of Liberians.” Despite the new investment, it appears more clearer that protestation at the concession site is far from ending – as one of the major demands of the protesters is far from being met.
Conor O Brien, Chief Financial Officer of
ArcelorMittal in a discussion with journalists intimated that the company has no plan at the moment to construct a steel processing plan now in Liberia, asserting that electricity is a major barrier to plan.
Brien added that at the moment there is no plan to construct a processing plan within the next six years.
“We cannot construct a steel processing plan at the moment because there is no electricity.
However, we don’t see that in the next six years” ArcelorMittal’s CFO stated. An employee who prefered not to be name lamented that bad labour practice and salary disparity is at it peak within the company.
The employee alleged that the company is using the media is using the media as a weapon against employees of the company and above all the national interest.
“The company is using the media against us. People who are not in the employ of the company feel that they are doing great because of the propaganda out there, but the reality is completely different.
They are paying employees 200 and the most is while the expatriates take home 500us weekly as allowance, an amount that is some of us salary.”
