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Othello S. Nimely
MONROVIA-OCTOBER 24, 2025: A one-day seminar focusing on India’s role in trade, investment, and development in Liberia was held Thursday at a local hotel in Monrovia.
The seminar brought together diplomats, business leaders, government officials, and media representatives to explore ways to strengthen the growing partnership between the two countries.
Delivering the opening address, Indian Ambassador to Liberia, H.E. Manoj Bihari Verma, emphasized the deep historical and cultural ties between India and Liberia and the invaluable contributions of the Indian community to Liberia’s progress over the past five decades.
Ambassador Verma highlighted that the Indian diaspora comprises over 32 million people worldwide-acts as a “living bridge” connecting India with the global community.
In Liberia, he said, Indians have played vital roles in trade, education, healthcare, and national reconstruction, particularly during the country’s post-war recovery.
He underscored that the partnership between India and Liberia is founded on shared democratic values, peace, and inclusive development. India, he said, continues to support Liberia through capacity building, professional training, scholarships, and healthcare initiatives under its development cooperation programs.
Reflecting on India’s emergence as the world’s fourth-largest economy, he stated that India’s experience in digital inclusion, healthcare, agriculture, and small business innovation offers practical models for Liberia’s economic transformation. The Indian diaspora, he added, can serve as a key bridge linking India’s expertise with Liberia’s development goals.
Ambassador Verma urged participants to use the seminar as a springboard for meaningful engagement and stronger cooperation. He reaffirmed India’s commitment to another fifty years of partnership marked by mutual growth, prosperity, and friendship.
Several presentations were made during the seminar, including discussions on strengthening India–Liberia relations through art and culture, promoting trade and investment, enhancing diaspora partnerships with Liberian businesses among others.
Representing Information Minister Jerolinmek Matthew Piah, Deputy Minister Johnny S. Tarkpah commended the Indian Embassy for organizing what he described as a timely and strategic seminar aligned with President Joseph Boakai’s ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development (AAID) which prioritizes Agriculture, Roads, Rule of Law, Education, Sanitation, and Tourism.
Tarkpah praised India’s long-standing support to Liberia since the 1960s and acknowledged the role of the Indian community-approximately 3,500 residents-in driving trade and investment through ventures in pharmaceuticals, hardware, and electronics.
He revealed that bilateral trade between India and Liberia reached US$397 million in 2024–2025, a significant increase from US$243 million the previous year.
He also lauded India for granting duty-free tariff access to key Liberian exports such as timber, rubber, and vegetable oil, calling for deeper collaboration in mentoring and business exchange.
Tarkpah further disclosed that about 4,000 Liberian students are currently studying in India, contributing to national capacity building.
The acting information minister called for renewed commitment and practical collaboration, declaring, “Now is the time for action. Now is the time for India and Liberia to move hand in hand.”
India and Liberia share a long-standing relationship built on mutual respect, cooperation, and shared democratic values.
Since establishing diplomatic ties in the 1960s, both nations have worked closely in trade, education, healthcare, and capacity building, with India playing a pivotal role in Liberia’s post-war recovery and human resource development.
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