Buchanan City, Grand Bassa – ArcelorMittal Liberia (AML) has reaffirmed its commitment to sustainable development and community empowerment throughout its operating counties by formally launching the 2025 cycle of its Community Development Fund (CDF) in partnership with the Government of Liberia.
The K-Plaza Hotel in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County, hosted the official launch celebration on Friday, May 23, 2025. More than fifty important stakeholders were gathered, including AML members, district legislators, local government representatives, civil society actors, and community leaders from the fenceline areas in Nimba, Bong, and Grand Bassa counties.
In August 2020, the CDF was created as a component of AML’s Mineral Development Agreement (MDA) with the Liberian government. Twenty percent of AML’s yearly $3 million contribution to the County Social Development Fund (CSDF) is used to fund it. Nimba receives 50% of the fund, Grand Bassa 33.3 percent, and Bong County 16.7 percent, in accordance with the company’s operating footprint.
The Fund is managed by a set of Management Guidelines that AML and the Liberian government jointly created and approved. Transparency and accountability in project selection, execution, reporting, and monitoring are guaranteed by these rules. They provide a structure for making sure that funds are allocated effectively and in accordance with the goals of community development.
Stakeholders discussed current and upcoming projects and went over the implementation report from the 2024 financing cycle during the launch event. Additionally, they approved suggested changes to the CDF Management Guidelines and offered important suggestions for enhancing fund implementation and governance.
Additionally, participants took advantage of the launch to evaluate the results of previous CDF-supported projects, such as the more than 30 infrastructure projects that have been finished since the Fund’s establishment. These include building town halls, clinics, health centers, schools, roads, and bridges in towns throughout the three recipient counties.
AML leaders who spoke at the occasion reiterated the company’s commitment to enhancing the quality of life for Liberians in the communities where it operates. They stressed that the CDF is still an essential tool for encouraging community ownership of projects and providing observable development benefits.
County officials and local leaders praised the project as an example of concession-community cooperation and urged more cooperation to guarantee the timely and high-quality completion of 2025 projects.
Now that the current financing cycle has officially begun, it is anticipated that a few chosen initiatives will soon be put into action, led by the lessons learned from the previous year and an enhanced governance structure that places a higher priority on effect, accountability, and openness.
ArcelorMittal Liberia is the leading mining company operating in Liberia. As part of its corporate social responsibility commitments, the company contributes annually to the County Social Development Fund (CSDF) to support development initiatives in the three counties impacted by its operations: Nimba, Grand Bassa, and Bong. Each year, Nimba receives $1.5 million, Grand Bassa $1 million, and Bong County $500,000.
However, for many years, these funds—though substantial—often failed to directly impact the communities closest to AML’s operations, particularly those along the railway corridor and in the mountainous mining zones of Nimba. To address this gap, AML and the Government of Liberia reached an agreement in 2020 for the company to withhold 20 percent of each county’s CSDF allocation to directly implement projects in the most affected “fenceline” communities.
This program shows AML’s proactive dedication to inclusive, equitable, and responsible development while also guaranteeing that development resources reach the communities most impacted by mining operations. ArcelorMittal Liberia keeps enhancing its standing as a conscientious business partner and a driving force behind sustainable development in Liberia by coordinating its social investment with the actual requirements of its host communities.
