More than 40 American businesses operating in Liberia voted Wednesday to establish a formal association aimed at deepening commercial ties between the two countries, selecting a veteran business executive with more than three decades in Liberia to lead the organization through its formation.
The decision came at the inaugural U.S. Business Dialogue, held at the United States Embassy in Monrovia, where participants unanimously agreed to create the American Business Association in Liberia, to be registered as a legal entity under the name ABAIL.
Abraham Avi Zaidenberg, managing director of the LISCR Trust Company and chairman of the boards of the Liberia Maritime Training Institute and Telecom International Alliance, was selected as interim head of the association and tasked with steering it toward formal registration.
Business leaders at the meeting described Zaidenberg as one of the most experienced American business figures in Liberia, a man who has lived and worked in the country for more than three decades, maintained his presence through the civil war years and built extensive relationships across both the public and private sectors. Participants praised his institutional knowledge, leadership qualities, and ability to bring together diverse stakeholders in pursuit of shared economic goals, and said his long record in Liberia makes him well-suited to guide the association through its formative stage.
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Speaking after his selection, Zaidenberg expressed gratitude for the confidence placed in him and pledged to work diligently to unite American businesses operating across Liberia. He underscored the importance of collaboration, investment and constructive engagement with Liberian institutions, saying American businesses are positioned to play a significant role in supporting economic growth, job creation and private-sector development across the country.
According to discussions at the meeting, ABAIL will focus on four core areas: promoting new American investment opportunities in Liberia, strengthening cooperation and information-sharing among member companies, enhancing commercial and technical collaboration with support from the U.S. Embassy and building a structured platform for advocacy on trade, commerce and investment policy.
The association also intends to work closely with the Liberia Chamber of Commerce and the Government of Liberia to help build a stronger and more resilient economy through increased private-sector participation and responsible foreign investment.
Observers at the meeting described the formation of ABAIL as a timely and strategic initiative. American businesses in Liberia have historically operated without a unified advocacy structure, leaving them without a coordinated platform for engaging the government on issues affecting their operations. The new association is expected to change that, providing member companies with a formal avenue to raise concerns, share information and present a unified position in dealings with Liberian regulatory and government bodies.
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The establishment of ABAIL also comes at a moment when the Boakai administration has made attracting foreign investment a stated economic priority, with the government pushing to improve the investment climate, reduce bureaucratic barriers and position Liberia as a destination for American and international capital. A organized American business community with a formal representative body could strengthen that effort by providing a reliable private-sector counterpart for government engagement and policy dialogue.
The association is expected to coordinate closely with the U.S. Embassy in Monrovia, which hosted Wednesday's inaugural meeting, signaling early institutional support for the initiative from the American diplomatic mission.
