- Incoming Mines and Energy Minister R. Matenokay Tingban promised Friday to lead a transparent, accountable, and forward-looking administration, emphasizing that Liberia's mineral and energy sectors must now "serve the best interests of the Liberian people" as he took charge of the ministry during a crucial time for the country's economic future.
Tingban, a mining engineer and former lawmaker with 20 years of technical and policy experience, said the task ahead requires discipline, collaboration, and national resolve. "The Ministry of Mines and Energy sits at the core of Liberia's economic future," he said. "The decisions we make, the policies we develop, and the systems we establish will determine how effectively our country transforms its natural resources into human and national development."
Speaking to lawmakers, diplomats, mining executives, traditional leaders, civil society representatives, and senior government officials, Tingban outlined his leadership based on three key principles--efficiency, transparency, and inclusive growth. He stated that his focus will be on modernizing the legal framework, strengthening regulatory institutions, rebuilding technical capacity, and ensuring that Liberians have a greater stake and voice in the country's natural-resource governance.
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Tingban becomes minister at a time of increased public expectations and intense scrutiny of how Liberia manages its gold, iron ore, critical minerals, and energy assets. He acknowledged that citizens expect fairness in concession management, clarity in licensing, reliability in electricity supply, and meaningful benefits for communities affected by mining. "Let me assure you," he said, "that under my leadership the Ministry will operate with integrity, transparency, and accountability."
Tingban's Blueprint
The new minister stated that Liberia must modernize its laws and regulations to align with international best practices and address longstanding gaps that have allowed waste, inefficiency, and institutional weaknesses to persist. He pledged to speed up the finalization of the new Mineral and Mining Law, update outdated operational guidelines, and restructure the Mineral Development Fund to ensure it provides tangible benefits for citizens and communities.
He said concession governance will get special focus, promising a more thorough review of mineral development agreements and a clearer strategy for security of tenure for investors. The ministry, he added, will strengthen the Inspectorate and boost the Legal Department to ensure compliance, dispute resolution, and environmental responsibility are upheld as strict standards.
Tingban emphasized the importance of national participation in the sector, stating that Liberians must take a more active role in both ownership and operations. He committed to fully enforcing the existing law that allows for government equity participation in Class A mining concessions. Additionally, he promised increased support for artisanal and small-scale miners, including training, safer technology, and formalization efforts that enable miners to build sustainable livelihoods without resorting to exploitative or illegal networks.
Addressing the long-standing proposal to create a state-owned mining company, Tingban said his team will carry out a thorough review and ensure any such entity has a clear, professional, and distinct commercial mandate that does not interfere with the ministry's regulatory duties.
He also pledged to modernize the Mining Cadastre Information Management System, improve the ministry's online data repository, and strengthen professional training for geologists, engineers, hydrologists, GIS technicians, and mine surveyors. "A ministry is only as strong as its people," he said. "We will strengthen the competencies that this sector demands."
Energy Sector: A Backbone for Industrialization
Turning to energy, an area the ministry shares with multiple agencies, Tingban said Liberia cannot become competitive without reliable, affordable, and diverse power generation. He pledged to prioritize the energy sector as a key part of national development, not just a technical matter.
He said the ministry will work closely with the Liberia Electricity Corporation, the Liberia Electricity Regulatory Authority, the Rural and Renewable Energy Agency, development partners, and independent power producers to strengthen regulation, expand renewable energy solutions, and diversify available electricity sources. Tingban said a modern energy system is the foundation for industrial growth, job creation, and regional competitiveness, and he emphasized that expanding electricity access must remain central to Liberia's broader development agenda.
"The expectations of the Liberian people are high," Tingban said. "They expect transparency in the issuance of licenses, fairness in agreements, responsible management of revenues, and expansion of employment opportunities. We will meet those expectations."
Paye's Farewell
Outgoing Minister Wilmot J. M. Paye stated that the ministry he inherited was in serious institutional decline. He described buildings without electricity or internet, offices lacking basic equipment, outdated geological data, broken regulatory structures, insufficient enforcement capacity, and a national energy sector struggling to collect even half of the revenues it generated. "Infrastructure was derelict," he said. "Technical capacity was extremely limited. Policy instruments were outdated, and regulation fractured."
He said his leadership focused on rebuilding the ministry's foundation. He cited improvements in electricity reliability, the launch of new solar initiatives, the restoration of the statutory structure of the LEC, the expansion of prepaid metering across government, the commencement of hydro feasibility studies along the St. John River, and the renewed interest of international oil companies after years of inactivity.
In the mineral sector, Paye stated that new geological data from a Liberia-China survey revealed significant potential in strategic minerals, including rare-earth and energy-transition minerals. He mentioned that his team reestablished county mine offices, increased professional staffing, implemented new regulations related to minerals, groundwater, tailings, administrative hearings, and student training, and revived Liberia's involvement in the African Diamond Producers Association and the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme.
He also highlighted notable growth in the budget and revenue. The ministry's budget, he said, increased from US$2.7 million in 2023 to US$6.1 million in the 2026 draft budget. Revenue collection rose from US$124.8 million in 2024 to over US$130 million by October 2025, with projections indicating significant year-end gains. Administrative hearings alone, he mentioned, generated more than US$3 million in fines and penalties this year.
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Paye said the ministry now being handed over is "reborn," equipped with trained engineers and geologists, modernized offices, new vehicles, upgraded equipment, and a workforce with restored morale. However, he warned that the ministry's progress remains vulnerable, stating that the mineral sector has long been targeted by networks aiming to influence licensing, control corridors, and undermine policy reforms.
"This ministry must never again be reduced to the cash cow it once was," Paye said. "We must protect the integrity of this institution and guard against those who believe Liberia's destiny is perpetual poverty."
Chamber of Mines
Liberia Chamber of Mines president Amara Kamara emphasized the importance of stability, collaboration, and steady leadership as the new minister takes office. Kamara noted that the transition is not just administrative but strategic, as Liberia positions itself within a rapidly changing global mineral economy.
Kamara commended Paye for "steady and open engagement" and for establishing the foundation necessary for reforms to take deeper root. He congratulated Minister Tingban and stated that the chamber is committed to working with the ministry to strengthen governance, expand investment, promote environmental stewardship, boost community participation, and ensure that the mining industry makes a meaningful contribution to inclusive national development.
"Our nation stands on the cusp of major opportunities," Kamara said. "Opportunities in gold, iron ore, critical minerals, energy transition, and value addition. We believe this partnership is vital to developing a mining industry that is globally competitive, environmentally responsible, and socially impactful."
