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Yekepa, Nimba County – ArcelorMittal Liberia Chief Executive Officer Michiel Van Der Merwe says the company is making significant progress on its ambitious housing rehabilitation program, with dozens of units under active renovation in Yekepa’s Area R and similar work taking place in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County.
Dozens of housing units are undergoing renovation with Yekepa’s Area R seeing about 70 housing units renovated, including water system, drainage, and electricity lines.
Forty units are also being renovated simultaneously in Grand Bassa County.
In Yekepa, reporters saw AML team moving through the town to identify additional units for renovation.
Speaking to journalists during a guided tour of the Area R site on Wednesday, Van Der Merwe described the scale of the project as “massive” but vital for improving the living conditions of AML employees and residents in host communities.
“We are very excited to be doing these renovations. Around here, we’re currently busy with 24 houses that we’re renovating, using four local contractors. As they finish these houses, we will move into the next 40,” he said.
“It’s impossible to give everybody accommodation at once, but we are committed to making sure that our people have a proper place to stay,” he added.
Beyond infrastructure, the CEO emphasized the project’s economic benefits for Liberians.
“Almost 100 percent of the people working on these houses are from the communities close by,” he explained. “All of the wood and raw materials you see here are sourced from around Nimba and our host communities.
That’s one of the criteria for selecting contractors – 100 percent local employment and community-based sourcing. We’re very proud of what the teams are delivering.”
Van Der Merwe also shared his vision for the future of Yekepa, painting a picture of a modern, vibrant town with improved public amenities.
“I’d love to see people coming to visit Yekepa to see the streetlights, proper roads, a renovated soccer field, and a sports center where people can gather, play, and enjoy communal facilities,” he said. “Over the past couple of years, there’s been a steep ramp-up in what we’re doing here – children playing in the streets, grass being cut, streetlights on at night. That’s the happy community we want.”
He confirmed that similar developments are ongoing in Buchanan. “You’ll see some changes there soon. We’ve already started and we’re putting in extra effort to make sure it continues,” Van Der Merwe stated.
The renovations, part of AML’s wider community investment strategy, aim to not only improve housing but also stimulate local economies, boost morale, and create sustainable benefits for residents in its concession areas.
The renovation drive is a strategic necessity as ArcelorMittal Liberia advances its Phase Two expansion project towards full implementation stage, which will see the construction with a new ore concentrator and related infrastructure like rail port and community development.
This expansion is expected to create hundreds of new jobs, increasing the demand for quality housing in Yekepa and Buchanan.
By upgrading and expanding accommodation now, the company is ensuring it can meet the needs of its growing workforce while supporting a stable and well-serviced community environment for employees and their families.
Alphonso Toweh
Has been in the profession for over twenty years. He has worked for many international media outlets including: West Africa Magazine, Africa Week Magazine, African Observer and did occasional reporting for CNN, BBC World Service, Sunday Times, NPR, Radio Deutchewells, Radio Netherlands. He is the current correspondent for Reuters
He holds first MA with honors in International Relations and a candidate for second master in International Peace studies and Conflict Resolution from the University of Liberia.
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