MONROVIA, October 12, 2026 -- The Executive Director of the Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia (CENTAL), Anderson D. Miamen, says Liberia's persistent governance failures and poorly negotiated concession agreements are largely the result of weak political will, corruption and conflicts of interest rather than a lack of technical capacity.
In a statement, Miamen rejected arguments that Liberia's underdevelopment and failure to secure favorable agreements in mining, agriculture, forestry and other sectors stem primarily from inadequate expertise.
"I have been in different professional spaces whereby many persons have attributed Liberia's poorly-negotiated concessions and other agreements and gross underdevelopment to limited capacity of those leading these activities, sectors and processes. I disagree that our main problem is the 'lack of capacity'," he said.
Miamen argued that more than two decades of capacity-building initiatives, coupled with thousands of Liberians graduating from local and international universities, have significantly expanded the country's pool of trained professionals.
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"At this point, for me, that excuse is lazy," he declared.
While acknowledging the need for continuous professional development, the CENTAL boss maintained that Liberia's inability to negotiate transparent, equitable and public-interest-driven concession agreements reflects deeper governance problems.
"If we had issues with poorly-negotiated mining and other concessions 20 years ago, the same capacity issues cannot genuinely be excuses of today, for continued failure to right the wrongs," he said.
Miamen identified limited political will, corruption, regulatory capture and conflicts of interest as major obstacles undermining effective governance and national development.
He criticized what he described as the continued election and appointment of individuals who disregard professional advice and place personal interests above national priorities.
"The pattern of electing people, many of whom lack integrity, are so greedy and selfish and refuse to honor expert opinions solicited, is a key challenge we must confront," he stated.
The anti-corruption advocate also raised concerns about alleged conflicts of interest involving lawmakers and other influential individuals who, he claimed, directly or indirectly provide trucks, logistics and other services to mining companies.
According to him, such business relationships can compromise the independence of public officials responsible for negotiating agreements, enforcing regulations and exercising oversight.
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Miamen further alleged that some companies holding exploration licenses engage in mining activities beyond their authorized operations while violating community rights and evading taxes.
He also criticized the implementation of Liberia's Liberalization Policy, arguing that many Liberian-owned businesses continue to face an unfavorable operating environment.
The CENTAL executive director called for stronger enforcement of existing laws and greater accountability across government institutions.
He particularly urged reforms in state-owned enterprises, saying they should contribute more meaningfully to national revenue rather than spending excessive resources on salaries, benefits, travel and administrative activities.
"We must holistically and robustly address our governance gaps and show greater commitment to good governance, accountability and integrity in varying sectors of society," Miamen said.
He challenged President Joseph Nyuma Boakai and the executive branch to demonstrate the political will necessary to enforce laws and address conflicts of interest involving lawmakers and other public officials.
Miamen maintained that meaningful national development requires confronting entrenched governance weaknesses rather than repeatedly blaming inadequate technical expertise.
"A better Liberia is possible when we collaborate to holistically and robustly deal with our governance and accountability issues," he concluded.
