-To Introduce Bill for National Mining Company
By Vaye Abel Lepolu
Monrovia, Liberia , in a fiery address at the University of Liberia, Senator Nyan Twayen has announced plans to introduce a landmark bill seeking to nationalize Liberia’s natural resources and ensure that Liberians derive greater benefit from mining and concession agreements. Speaking before students of the Student Unification Party (SUP) on Capitol Hill, the Senator of Nimba County criticized existing concession deals as “unfair, exploitative, and unpatriotic,” arguing that Liberia has, for too long, allowed foreign companies to reap vast profits from the country’s minerals while ordinary citizens remain poor.
“Why should we bring investors to mine our resources and end up with only five percent of the profits? Why should Liberians not own at least thirty percent of what is under their own soil?” Senator Nya Twayen asked, drawing loud applause from the audience. The Senator revealed plans to introduce a bill to establish the Liberian National Mining Company, which would hold a 30 percent automatic share in all mining and natural resource deals signed by the government.
According to him, the proposed company will serve as Liberia’s corporate arm in joint ventures, enabling the government to directly participate in the extraction and sale of gold, iron ore, and other minerals rather than acting as a passive regulator. “If a foreign investor brings $100 million to mine, Liberia must contribute $30 million and hold 30 percent of the profit. That is partnership, not dependency,” he emphasized.
The Senator further disclosed that many companies are not transparent about how much gold and other resources they export from Liberia. He cited a meeting with a Turkish-owned company Bear mountain operating in Grand Cape County, where executives reportedly admitted that all gold extracted was weighed and sold in London, not Liberia. “Liberian gold is being flown straight to London, weighed there, and sold there. How can we track our wealth when it never passes through our own system?” he asked.
To address this, the lawmaker said he successfully proposed that all concession agreements submitted to the Legislature be accompanied by digital (soft) copies, which would be processed through an automated grading system to ensure compliance and fairness. “We will no longer sign agreements blindly,” he stated. “Any concession that scores below 80 percent in our system will be sent back for renegotiation.”
Meanwhile, He reaffirmed his commitment to serve as “a voice for the voiceless” in mining communities across Nimba, Bong, and Grand Bassa Counties, where local residents often face displacement and environmental hazards without seeing tangible development benefits. “The greatest threat to our peace and democracy is the lack of job opportunities and economic justice. We will no longer mortgage our resources while our people suffer,” he said.
At the same, the Senator, himself a former Student Unification Party cadre instructor, used the platform to remind students of SUP’s long standing role in fighting for democracy and social justice. He recounted the history of student activism dating back to the 1970s, when SUP members challenged the True Whig Party’s one-party rule and later became instrumental in the struggle for multiparty democracy.
“SUP has always been the conscience of Liberia,” he said. “Any attempt to silence the student movement will only strengthen its resolve.” However, the Senator called for renewed collaboration between the government, students, and citizens to promote transparency, accountability, and equitable participation in Liberia’s economic future. “We will hold companies accountable, and we must also hold ourselves accountable in government,” he declared. “Liberia’s natural wealth must serve Liberian people first.”
