Nimba County – ArcelorMittal Liberia (AML) has presented Nimba University a check of $50,000 USD as part of its yearly support for the university, in accordance with its Mineral Development Agreement (MDA) requirement, and as part of its ongoing commitment to education and skill development in Liberia. The check was formally presented on Thursday by Joseph Sloan, Team Support Unit Coordinator for AML’s Sustainability and External Relations Department (SER).
Throughout his presentation, Mr. Sloan reaffirmed AML’s dedication to higher education in Liberia, particularly in areas that are closely associated with the mining sector. The funds specifically was for the university’s Mining Engineering and Geology department, he said.
“This donation demonstrates ArcelorMittal Liberia’s persistent dedication to promoting the development of the country’s future mining and geology workforce,” Sloan stated.
The dean of the College of Engineering and Geoscience, Assistant Professor Emmanuel A. Donseah, accepted the check and thanked the company for its assistance. He praised AML for continuously meeting its MDA obligations and stated that the most recent funding will be utilized to buy the institution much-needed lab equipment.
Through the 2005 Mineral Development Agreement between ArcelorMittal and the Government of Liberia, the groundwork for the Mining and Geology School at Nimba University was established. The institution was once a division of the Department of Geology and Mining at the University of Liberia. In 2011, AML started providing assistance for the institute by paying US$200,000 for materials and capacity building through the Commission for Higher Education.
In addition to offering experts to give lectures in geology and mining during the program’s early phases, AML has been instrumental in its development over the years. The company facilitated a technical collaboration with the Ghana School of Mines in 2014 to help with staff training and curriculum development. This endeavor was unfortunately hampered by the Ebola outbreak.
ArcelorMittal Liberia has now contributed US$675,000 to the institution in total, including both yearly contributions and arrears since 2012. AML’s conviction in sustainable development and the ability of education to change communities is shown in its continuous assistance. The company promised that, it is still devoted to working with Liberia’s future labor force, especially in the extractive industry.
