Monrovia, Liberia – Sekou Dukuly, the Managing Director of the National Port Authority (NPA), has unveiled a daring new reform package designed to transform Liberia’s logistics and port management system. According to Dukuly, the agency will undergo a comprehensive makeover under a five-year strategic plan called “Reset” in order to improve governance, expedite operations, build out infrastructure, and clear the nation’s primary cargo ports.
Mr. Dukuly stated during the Liberia Revenue Authority’s Time Release Study launch that cutting customs clearance time by 50% would be one of the main goals of the RESET plan. He called this goal “central” to the reform movement. He noted that increased cleaning effectiveness will greatly reduce port system strain.
The acronym RESET breaks down as follows, R – Reform Governance & empower regional ports, E – Enhance operational efficiency & service delivery (including e-solutions), S-Strengthen financial management & diversify revenue streams, E – Establish an inland container terminal to unlock congestion at port yard and T – Transform, expand and modernize port infrastructure.
According to Dukuly, these changes will bring Liberia’s ports “on par” with its top African counterparts, Tema in Ghana and Mombasa in Kenya, both of which have seen significant improvements in throughput and efficiency. The Freeport of Monrovia, which continues to be the nation’s main shipping gateway, has tangible performance problems that highlight the need for reform.
The anchorage-stay duration of container ships has decreased from a peak of seven days in September 2024 to an average of 1.8 days as of May 2025, according to CEIC data.Since 2022, the average number of container-ship boats waiting in Monrovia has been about two units per week, with a peak of five units in December 2024.
The signs point to delays that the NPA plans to resolve, whether they are expressed in terms of vessel queues or days at anchor. Liberia’s port network is managed by the NPA and comprises four major seaports: the Freeport of Monrovia, the Port of Buchanan, Port of Greenville and the Port of Harper.
An estimated 90% of the nation’s economic activity is handled by the Freeport of Monrovia alone, which is currently undergoing redevelopment to serve as a transshipment hub. According to a recent concession report by APM Terminals Liberia, container volumes increased from 89 TEU to -110 TEU during the same period, while general-cargo volumes increased from 726 million metric tons (2017 baseline) to a projected 1,145 million metric tons by 2021.
As stated by Dukuly, who spoke about the Strategic Interventions and Implementation Timeline, the NPA is already working on several projects, such as using the Liberia-National-Time-Release-Study (LNTMBC) peer mechanism to support customs procedures once it is finished next year, finishing the Port Master Plan, which aims to reorganize the port footprint and lessen yard congestion, and launching e-services and digital processing to facilitate quicker clearance and shorter dwell times.
Although he acknowledged that traffic is still the NPA’s “biggest issue,” he was optimistic that significant progress will be made once the Master Plan was fully implemented. The competitiveness of Liberia’s trade depends on effective port operations. The nation’s investment promotion agency claims that a key component of the government’s plan to draw in foreign investment and establish the nation as a regional center is the reform of transportation and logistics.
Importers, exporters, and the entire supply chain can save a lot of money by cutting the anchoring or clearance time by one day. Liberia’s efforts aim to lower commerce and logistics barriers in an area where average port delays can last for several days. Despite the ambitious objectives, achieving them will take consistent dedication, funding, and cooperation from several departments (customs, revenues, port authority, private-sector terminals).
Key hazards include: Regional rivalry from nearby ports providing comparable services; resistance or friction in digital-process improvements (such as customs and revenue); and inadequate funding for infrastructure enhancements. However, if the RESET plan is implemented as planned, Liberia might improve its position in West African trade flows, relieve supply-chain pressures, and modernize its marine gateway.
Reported by: Prince Saah
